Why bike riding is great for your gut, heart, immune system, and mind?
If you want to join the cycling world, here are some reasons to get on your bicycle. Even if you're bike riding for a little while, you'll probably already be well aware of multiple of the health and fitness benefits that cycling serves. But if you're now starting your journey– and even if you've let it lapse a while – you’ll surely welcome a healthy reminder of the several positives it can introduce to our lives.
The benefits of cycling daily include physical health and fitness. But they go well beyond that to include social wellbeing, brain health, and many more perks. If you are going to choose a new way to spend your precious time, there are numerous options out there to pick from, but as we suggest, cycling is the best.
Essential reasons to take up cycling
What are the benefits of cycling? If you want to know, stay for a while and read this article. Picking cycling as your passion or profession could be one of the best decisions you ever make. Outdoor cycling benefits include happiness, improved health, relationships, and much more.
Here, we’ve summarized some noteworthy reasons to start bike riding, which should compel you to have a ride.
Helps you get fit and healthy
We’re starting from the most obvious cycling benefit. The health benefits of bike riding are manifold, and it can help you get fitter and healthier. You can unlock this great payback even if you are not a Lycra-clad, century-cycling enthusiast. Indoor or outdoor cycling, or even just riding to your workspace, can pay magnificent dividends for your overall wellbeing. Even if you are riding on gravel trails, cycling can boost your fitness.
A 2017 study uncovered that cycling commuting is linked with better cardiovascular functioning and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The physical benefits of cycling are also proven in that research. The study narrates that those who cycle daily or include it in their physical activities are usually fitter than those who do other physical activities.
Bike riding is also an effortless way to achieve physical activity guidelines. The study reveals how 90 % of cycle commuters and 80 % of mixed-mode cycling commuters hit activity guidelines. In their comparison, only 54 % of walking commuters and approximately 50 % of mixed-mode walking commuters hit activity guidelines, as the study says.
Beats illness
Is bike riding good for your overall health and wellbeing? Yes, of course! Cycling helps you more than eating apples. It will surely keep the doctor away if you ride daily. If you do cycling properly, it will strengthen your immunity level to a great extent.
Cath Collins, chief dietician at St George’s Hospital in London, says that:
“Moderate workout makes body immune cells more active. So, they’re ready to fight off infection.” Research from the University of North Carolina says the same thing: that the people who cycle for 30 minutes, five days a week, take about half as many sick days as those who do no physical workout.
Boosts your bellows
The lungs work harder than normal when you ride on your bicycle. Typically, an adult bike rider inhales 10 times the oxygen needed to sit idle or in front of the television for the same duration. Regular bike riding will improve your lung function.
It will be even better if you cycle daily. Regular cycling will strengthen your cardiovascular (heart and lungs) system as time passes. It will also enable your heart and lungs to work more efficiently and get more oxygen where it’s required quickly. It means that you can do more workouts for less effort. Does it sound nice?
Increases your brain power
There are several outdoor cycling benefits, like it helps to maintain our mental health. Bike riding will boost your brain power and activate your grey matter (neuronal cell bodies). Regular exercise ensures the growth of new connections between cells in cortical areas of the brain. You can work more efficiently as cycling will increase your cognitive function.
A UCLA (The University of California, Los Angeles) study proved that regular exercise makes it easier for the brain to build up neuronal connections. It aids in enhancing the general capability of the brain. The study also revealed that it would help the regrowth of new axons on damaged cells after a nerve crush injury. Regular workouts can also assist brain function later when you get older.
Professor Arthur Kramer of the University of Illinois says that:
“It increases oxygen and blood flow to the brain, which stimulates and regenerates receptors, describing how exercise aids in beating off Alzheimer’s.”
A 2019 study also uncovered that cycling boosts executive functions. These functions and processes enable planning, attention focus, and observation, to name just a few.
Helps your gut
Bike riding enables cyclists to live a healthier and happier life. It keeps you regular and ensures gut health. According to Bristol University experts, the benefits of cycling extend to your gut.
Dr Ana Raimundo, a gastroenterologist, explained that:
“Physical activity like exercise helps minimize the time it takes the meal to move through our large intestine, regulating the amount of water absorbed back into the body and resulting in quite softer stools, which you can pass easily.”
Moreover, aerobic exercise amplifies your normal heart rate and breathing. It will ultimately help to accelerate the contraction of intestinal muscles. Dr Raimundo also declares that: “As well as protecting you from feeling bloated, the exercise helps prevent you from bowel cancer.”
It can make you live longer.
Cycling can slow down the aging process by a few decades. King’s College London experimented by comparing more than 2,400 identical twins and revealed that those who did the equivalent of only three 45-minute bike rides a week were about 9 years biologically younger, even after neglecting other influences, such as smoking and body mass index (BMI).
Dr Lynn Cherkas, who conducted the research, says that:
“Those who do physical workout daily are at significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, all types of cancer, and obesity. When you make exercise your routine, the body becomes much more capable at defending itself and regenerating new cells.”
It’s good for your mental health.
We are all well aware that physical exercise is a mood enhancer. A YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) study, for example, revealed that people who had an active lifestyle had a wellbeing score 32 % higher than those who were physically inactive.
Cycling is a great stress-buster and ensures mental health. Get out on your bicycle to improve your mental wellbeing. Physical exercise can improve your mood. There's the release of endorphins and adrenaline and the increased confidence that comes from new achievements (such as getting closer to a goal, such as riding your first century or half-century or completing a challenge).
A 2016 qualitative research in Sport, Exercise, and Health says that outdoor cycling is a form of 'Green Exercise' that combines physical challenge while connecting with surroundings that offer powerful benefits.
The research associated cycling in countryside environments with uncomplicated joy and themes of mastery, rejuvenation, and escape. It also states that Participants enjoyed unmatched feelings of health and felt better able to manage life's stresses.
Neil Shah, a member of the Stress Management Society, says that:
“Cycling is one of the most effective treatments to manage stress and in many cases has been proven to be as effective as medication – if not more so.”
He also says that “there is a pile of scientific evidence pointing towards bike riding as a stress-busting activity.
Reduces your carbon footprint
Bicycles are sustainable and environmentally friendly. You can park 20 bicycles in the same space as one car. It takes around 5 % of the energy and materials used to make a car to build a cycle, and a cycle produces zero pollution. Choosing a bicycle can be the best mode of transportation and a green practice, too.
Bicycles are also efficient. With the same amount of energy, you can travel around three times as fast as walking. And, with the ‘fuel’ you put in your ‘engine,’ you can easily do the equivalent of 2,924 miles to the gallon. Here, you have to thank the great weight ratio as you’re about 6 times heavier than your cycle, while a car is 20 times heavier than you.
Helps you avoid pollution
Along with reducing your carbon footprint, bike riding will help you protect yourself from pollution. It seems a little bit awkward and counterintuitive, but car passengers inhale more polluted air than bike riders. Imperial College London’s researchers declared that passengers in taxis, buses, and cars inhaled more pollution than pedestrians and cyclists.
Taxi passengers, on average, were prone to more than 100,000 ultrafine particles. Such a heavy amount can settle in your lungs and damage cells per cubic centimeter. People in buses inhaled just under 100,000, and car passengers sucked up about 40,000.
Meanwhile, riders were exposed to merely 8,000 ultrafine particles per cubic centimeter. It’s said that cyclists inhale fewer fumes because they ride at the edge of the road trails and, unlike other vehicle drivers, aren’t directly in the line of air pollution and exhaust smoke.
Improves your sex life
Being physically active directly improves vascular health. According to United States health experts, it has the knock-on effect of increasing one's sex drive. Another study from Cornell University also summarized that male athletes have the sexual prowess of men two to five years younger.
Staying and living an active lifestyle can also delay menopause at the same time. Some females can see that menopause has an impact on sexual desire. So, staying active could be a way to cope with reduced arousal.
Meanwhile, Harvard University research uncovered that men aged over 50 who cycle for at least three hours a week have a 30 % lower risk of impotence than those who do little or no exercise.
Helps with pregnancy
If a pregnant woman is cycling, it means she can give birth more easily than inactive women. This activity could serve you and your joy and pride well. Of course, do it as long as you can do it safely.
According to a study conducted at Michigan University in the US, mums-to-be who cycle regularly during pregnancy have a less complicated and easier labor, recover faster, and enjoy a better overall mood throughout the pregnancy period (nine months).
Patrick O’Brien, a spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, states that:
“There’s no doubt a moderate workout routine, such as cycling during pregnancy, protects the fetus and helps the condition of the mother.”
Heals your heart
Research from Purdue University in the United States has proved that regular cycling can lower your risk of heart disease by 50 %. The British Heart Foundation says that around 10,000 fatal heart attacks could be prevented each year if individuals kept themselves fitter.
It also stated that bike riding for just 20 miles a week minimizes your risk of heart disease to less than half that of those who do not exercise and are physically inactive.
Can help ward off cancer
Numerous studies say that all types of exercises are useful to prevent cancer, but some reports have shown bike riding is specifically best for keeping your cells in working order.
Once, Finnish researchers carried out a long-term study in which they stated men who do moderate-level exercise for at least 30 minutes a day were half as likely to acquire cancer as those who didn’t.
And the moderate form of exercise cited in that research was nothing but cycling to work. Other studies have shown that women who cycle more often reduce their risk of breast cancer by 34 %.
Makes you motivated and helps you deal with stress
Research on 200 people carried out by the University of Bristol concluded that employees who exercise at lunchtime or before work improve their workload and time management. It also increased their ability and motivation to cope with stress. Especially work-related stress.
The study also showed that workers who exercised, like cycling, are less susceptible to depression. They found it easier to finish work on time and felt their interpersonal performance was better.
Lose weight through cycling.
Cycling is a great and effective way to lose weight. No doubt, it works, and unlike many types of exercise, it can be easily included in your daily life. Lose your weight by regular cycling.
Don't make your weight a barrier to your cycling journey. It’s worth approaching weight loss with complete caution. Now, you can take cycling as a safe and effective way to lose weight.
Cycling is good for many sports.
Cycling helps you to keep your body in prime shape. It can also help you to improve your weekly tennis game. A stint in the saddle is the way to begin many other sports.
A Norway medical research titled Aerobic Endurance Training was carried out to maximize Soccer Performance. So it is clear that Knock-on cycling benefits to other sports are countless.
Bike riding means guilt-free snacks.
There is no chance that your doctor can advise you to increase your sugar intake. But it will become possible in the few hours after a long bike ride. Do it quickly to enjoy your favorite sweets. Say thanks to cycling as it gives you the perfect excuse to munch on sweets, which you may normally avoid.
Dr Tim Podlogar, a nutritionist at the Bora-Hansgrohe World cycling team, suggests taking Haribo. The sugar in them will immediately replenish your body's glycogen stores. So you can adapt to the training stimulus, recover and get fitter. Don't forget to enjoy sweets, as they will restock your energy level after a big ride.
It's good family time.
Bike riding is a physical activity that the whole family can do together. Even the smallest tyke can join this get-together by clambering into a two-along trailer or a child’s bike seat. Such family activities keep you connected with your loved ones.
Further, your cycling habit can make your kids the next Marianne Vos or Tom Pidcock. Unsurprisingly, researchers have found that kids are influenced by their parents’ workout choices. Make it simple, if your children see you riding daily, they’ll conclude it’s normal and will be more likely to love and follow your example.
Cycling is not just confined to your kids. Even older individuals can join in. According to the NHS, cycling is kind on joints, and there is a range of bikes suitable for older people. Now the grandparents can take part, too.
It can be used for a good cause.
Plenty of riders turn their fitness, health, and determination into fundraising efforts. They are helping the needy through their profession worldwide. The London to Brighton bike ride race has raised more than £40 million for the British Heart Foundation since the two became involved in 1980. Several other cyclists are contributing to the coffers of worthy causes.
Cycling helps with creativity.
Musicians, writers, artists, and all other professionals take advantage of some exercise to make decisions. It helps them solve their mental blocks. Science has also approved this approach to make quick and wise decisions.
A recent study revealed that 25 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise increases at least one measure of creative thinking. All the credit behind this creativity goes to the improved flow of oxygen to your grey matter. Exercise like cycling matters a lot and will help to spark your neurons and give you breathing space to come up with a guitar lick, inspired line, or brush stroke.
Helps you burn more fat
Burning fat and losing fat from the body are not similar. Boost your VO2 Max (maximal oxygen consumption) and cycling endurance by training in the fat-burning zones. If you ride in the lower intensity training zones, the most preferred fuel burning at that time is body fat.
Hard cycling improves your body’s energy expenditure and aerobic capacity. Sports physiologists have revealed that the metabolic rate – the efficiency with which the body burns fat and calories – remains not only elevated during a ride but for a couple of hours afterward.
Mark Simpson, sports physiologist of Loughborough University, says that:
“Even after 30 minutes of cycling, you can burn a raised amount of total calories for several hours after you stop riding.”
As you get healthier and fitter, there will be surplus benefits. One recent study found that riders who introduced fast intervals into their cycling burned 3.5 times more body fat than those who cycled continuously but at a slower pace.
It’ll make you happy.
Cycling instantly copes with stress and makes you feel better and happier. Even if you’re sad and miserable when you start, saddle up; cranking through the miles will elevate your spirits and make you calmer.
Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, declares that:
“Any mild-to-moderate physical workout secretes natural feel-good hormones (endorphins) that make you happy and help manage stress.”
That’s why four times more GPs (General practitioners) recommend exercise therapy as their most common and effective treatment for depression compared to 3 years ago.
McCulloch explains, “Only three 30-minute exercise sessions a week can be useful to give individuals the lift they need.”
It gets you (legally) high.
The post-exercise sensation of euphoria and relaxation is named the ‘runner’s high.’ This high is not only applicable to runners but to all endurance athletes. Similarly, if you have a long ride, the feeling of relaxation you get is quite unbeatable.
To check the truth of the idea, the University of Bonn’s neurologists observed endorphins in the brains of ten athletes before and after a 2-hour cardio session. This visualization was completed using a technique known as positron emission tomography.
When comparing the pre-and post-run scans, researchers found proof of more opiate binding of the happy hormone in the frontal and limbic areas of the brain. These regions are known to be involved in emotional processing and managing stress.
Professor Henning Boecker, study coordinator, explains that:
“There’s a direct connection between exercise and feelings of wellbeing, and for the first time, this research uncovers the physiological mechanism behind that.”
It can ease fatigue.
If you are tired, take a ride to calm down and relax. Does it sound good? It may seem counterintuitive and awkward, but it works. If you feel too exhausted for a ride, the best thing you can do is go for a ride.
Physical activity, like cycling for even a few minutes, is an effective wake-up call. Twelve studies were carried out between 1945 and 2005 to find the connection between exercise and fatigue. The studies’ review shows that exercise directly decreases fatigue levels.
Improves your sleep quality and duration
Regular commutes by bike or hill reps will make you fit and improve your sleep duration and quality. Reducing daily sleep duration by an hour a night can cause a sudden spike in cortisol (stress hormone), which will make it hard for you to sleep. Physical activity can redress and equalize that imbalance. It will ultimately set you on your way to a healthy and enough dose of shut-eye.
A good night’s sleep will improve your performance on the bicycle as it's an extra benefit. Say thanks to cycling if you're getting better sleep. Well, science has proved it with evidence.
The University of Georgia’s researchers observed men and women aged between 20 to 85 over a period of 35 years and showed that a drop in fitness of 2 % for men and 4 % for women resulted in sleeping issues.
Dr Rodney Dishman, one of the lead authors, wrote, "The steepest decline in cardiorespiratory fitness happens between ages 40 and 60. This is also when problems of sleep quality and duration are increased."
The study authors suggested that the probable reasons for sleep improvement include exercise's ability to treat anxiety. The two wheels also prevent weight gain with age, which can lead to poor sleep.
Helps you make friends
The social side of cycling does as much good as exercise and health benefits. Its quite easy to meet like-minded people and make new friends through bike riding. The burgeoning scene of inclusive cycle clubs is evident in this scenario.
The University of California’s researchers declare that socializing releases the oxytocin hormone, which mitigates the ‘fight or flight’ response. Another study from Harvard Medical School explained that those with the most friendly relationships cut the risk of early death by more than 60 % due to a stronger immune system and a reduction in blood pressure.
The results were so visible and significant that researchers summarized that not having confidants or close friends is as detrimental to your health as carrying extra weight or smoking. Incorporate friends in the fitness element of cycling, too, and you’re onto a winner.
You can explore the world.
So far, we have explored how riding is great for your health, your mind, and the planet. But the power of this two-wheeler also has another immense benefit: it helps you travel around the world. You can uncover incredible mysteries and landscapes through cycling.
Whether backpacking, riding on gravel trails, or taking part in a cycling race, a cycle will help you explore what's surrounding you and much further away. Get in touch with us and get a chance to explore the world!