Cycling has deservedly experienced a bit of a renaissance in recent times. As traffic congestion levels have inevitably continued to increase and have shown no signs of abating, commuting by bicycle has become a much more sensible option for many of us.
Alongside this, it is one of the best forms of exercise that we can perform which doesn’t have to be excessively strenuous or dull. Part of its resurgent appeal has come from how cycling perfectly balances an economical and often faster method of transportation whilst providing general improvements to your overall health.
We believe that riding a bike is the absolute best method of developing your physical fitness as well as your mental fitness simultaneously. A healthy body promotes a healthy mind and similarly the reverse applies. We wanted to highlight some of those advantages that riding a bike can grant you.
Physical Health and Fitness
Unlike many forms of aerobic exercise, such as jogging or dancing, cycling is very low impact and as such will cause much fewer strains and injuries than others can. However, in spite of this, it still provides a full workout to all the major muscle groups in the body.
This in turn increases cardiovascular fitness, builds up strength, flexibility, improves joint mobility and reduces your body fat levels. In addition, cycling can help promote good posture, develop coordination and it even allows you to spend more time exercising outdoors thus enjoying the extra health benefits of training in fresh air and sunshine, something which you will not be able to get from indoor gym workouts.
Riding your bike is possibly the most fun way to keep yourself fit and so it is something which you will want to be doing more frequently. Rather than some fitness regimes, which can quickly become more like chores than pleasures, riding a bicycle can be different every day and the accompanying fitness benefit can become more like an additional bonus than being the sole reason for doing it.
Mental Well-Being
As stated before, it is just as important to promote your mental health as it is look after your physical fitness. Stress, anxiety and depression can be incredibly debilitating and cycling is a fantastic way of aiding these ailments.
Riding your bike need only be as intense as you choose and performing any form of physical activity acts as a natural anti-depressant. The endorphins which are released in your brain when doing exercise will boost your serotonin levels which in turn promotes a positive mind-set.
Combine this with the fact that cycling is an incredibly pleasurable past time and these benefits increase two-fold. When you are out on your bike you also gain a feeling of control and solitude with time to reflect and relax on things in a pleasant environment.
Or alternatively, it can just as easily become a social activity, something which you do with your friends allowing you to enjoy their company at the times that suit you both best. Unlike some other forms of exercise, it requires no previous experience or additional knowledge.
Most of us rode bikes in our childhood at the very least, and so there are no extra mental pressures involved and the wide range of bikes that are now available have made cycling suitable for all-comers.
No matter what type of bike would be most appropriate for your needs you will not struggle to find yourself the ideal racing, electric or mountain bikes for sale and so you can immediately begin to enjoy all the physical and mental benefits cycling provides.