HOW CYCLING IMPROVES MENTAL WELL-BEING, STRENGTHEN IMMUNE SYSTEM

HOW CYCLING IMPROVES MENTAL WELL-BEING, STRENGTHEN IMMUNE SYSTEM

A study by the YMCA shows that people who had a physically active lifestyle had a wellbeing score of 32 per cent higher than inactive individuals.

Cycling combines physical exercise with being outdoor and exploring new views. You can ride solo – giving you time to process worries or concerns, or you can ride with a group which broadens your social circle.

STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM BY CYCLING

Why choose the bike? Cycling to work can reduce the time of your commute, and free you from the confines of germ infused buses and trains.

Evidence suggests that immediately after intense exercise , such as an interval training session, your immune system is lowered – but adequate recovery such as eating and sleeping well can help to reverse this.

CYCLING CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

Weight loss is one benefit of cycling

When it comes to weight loss, the simple equation  is ‘calories out must exceed calories in’. So you need to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight. Cycling burns calories: between 400 and 1000 an hour, depending on intensity and rider weight.

Assuming you enjoy cycling, you’ll be burning calories. And if you eat a healthy diet that creates a calorie deficit (one that is controlled and does not put you at risk of long-term health conditions, we stress) you should lose weight.

CYCLING BUILDS MUSCLE

Glutes ot Firing:

We tell you how to increase your leg musclulature

The resistance element of cycling means that it doesn’t just burn fat: it also builds muscle – particularly around the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves. Muscle is leaner than fat, and people with a higher percentage of muscle burn more calories even when sedentary.

CYCLING CUTS HEART DISEASE AND CANCER RISK

Cycling raises your heart rate and gets the blood pumping round your body, and it burns calories, limiting the chance of your being overweight. As a result, it’s among a selection of form of exercise recommended by the NHS as being healthy ways to cut your risk of developing major illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.

CYCLING SAVES TIME

Cycle to save time (and money)

Compare these three experiences:

Get in the car, sit in traffic, queue to get into the car park, park, pay to park, arrive

Walk to bus stop, wait for bus, complain about bus being late, get on bus (pay), watch as it takes you round-the-houses, arrive, about half a mile from your destination

Get on the bike, filter past traffic, lock the bike, arrive

Short journeys contribute massively to global pollution levels, and often involve a fair amount of stationary staring at the bumper in front. Get on the bike, and you’ll save on petrol or cash on public transport, as well as time.

CYCLISTS SLEEP BETTER

Ride a bike for a good night’s sleep

It probably isn’t rocket science that tiring yourself out on the bike will improve your sleep – but now it’s been proven. Researchers at the University of Georgia studied men and women aged 20 to 85 over a period of 35 years, and found that a drop in fitness of 2 per cent for men and 4 per cent for women resulted in sleep problems.

CYCLING BOOSTS YOUR BRAIN POWER

A 2013 study found that during exercise, cyclists’ blood flow in the brain rose by 28 per cent, and up to 70 per cent in specific areas. Not only that, but after exercise, in some areas blood flow remained up by 40 per cent even after exercise.

Improved blood flow is good because the red stuff delivers all sorts of goodies that keep us healthy – and the study concluded that we should cycle for 45-60 minutes, at 75-85 per cent of max ‘hear rate reserve’ (max heart rate minus resting heart rate) four times a week. Nothing stopping you riding more, of course.