In April 2018, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 3 as International World Bicycle Day. The first World Bicycle Day was observed in 2019.
Cycling is a low impact type of aerobic activity that can benefit a person’s health and fitness. It is a useful exercise that many people can incorporate into their daily lives as a mode of transport, casual activity, or competitive sport. As it is relatively easy to start and suitable for most fitness levels, it is a popular physical activity. Performing regular physical activity, such as cycling, is one of the most important things that people can do for their well-being.
Health Benefits
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults perform at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity, such as cycling, every week. Cycling can help to protect you from serious diseases such as stroke, heart attack, some cancers, depression, diabetes, obesity and arthritis. Cycling extend lifespan. Riding a bike is healthy, fun and a low-impact form of exercise for all ages. Cycling is easy to fit into your daily routine by riding to the shops, park, school or work.
How Does Cycling Help Your Heart?
Cycling can help improve heart health. Just 20 minutes of cycling in a day can half your risk of dying from a heart related disease? Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for over 30 percent of the global deaths annually.
People who biked regularly has about 15 percent fewer heart attacks than non-cyclists. Those who cycle on a regular basis, experience fewer cardiovascular events.
One study suggests that people who cycle to work experience notable health benefits, including improved cardiovascular functioning. In addition to a 46% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease, commuters who cycle to work also have a 52% lower risk of dying from the condition.
High blood pressure, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in some people. Cycling may also help reduce blood pressure over a period of time. The review above notes that after 3 months, blood pressure may reduce by 4.3%, and that after 6 months, it may reduce by 11.8%.
Lung Health
Cycling can also help improve cardiorespiratory health. Exercise such as cycling is important to keep the lungs healthy for both people with and without a lung condition. Physical activity can help the immune system protect a person from respiratory infections such as SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.
Regular cycling can also help lung function in those with a lung condition. For example, people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may incorporate cycling as part of their pulmonary rehabilitation program.
Cycling Keeps the Immune System Young
Regularly going for a walk or taking a bike ride can benefit your immune system by helping immune cells to perform effectively — increasing blood flow, reducing stress and inflammation and strengthening antibodies. Getting the blood circulating, achievable by walking or biking often, helps the white blood cells in the immune system roam around the body as needed.
Our immune system does a remarkable job of defending us against disease-causing organisms. T cells are part of the immune system and develop from stem cells in the bone marrow. They help protect the body from infection and may help fight cancer. Our T cells let us down as we age, becoming weaker pathogen fighters. This decline helps explain why elderly people are more susceptible to infections and less responsive to vaccines
A recent study followed 125 long-distance cyclists, some were now in their 80s, and found they had the immune system of 20-year-olds. They discovered that the long-distance cyclists were producing the same level of T-cells as adults in their 20s, compared to a group of inactive adults who were producing very few. As a result, the researchers believe that doing a physical activity such as cycling, will help people respond better to vaccines, and will be better protected against nasty infections such as the flu.
Not only that but because the cyclists have the immune system of someone in their 20s, they will have added protection against things such as rheumatoid arthritis and even cancer.
Physical activity may help flush out bacteria out of your lungs and airways, therefore reducing your chance of getting a cold or flu. It’s also thought that our rise in temperature when taking part in a vigorous exercise like cycling may prevent bacteria from growing. The rise in body temperature helps our bodies fight infection better – this is why we get a temperature when we’re ill.
Cycling Improves Mental Health
Regular exercise – especially physical activity outdoors – should not simply be a supplementary method to improve our mood, but a key part of any strategy to combat depression, anxiety, and the general stress of daily life. While some people ride to get fit, there are many who ride bikes simply because it makes them happy, and happiness is not trivial.
Even half an hour of daily exercise has been observed to improve people’s subjective mood and well-being. Physical activity improves self-esteem. Physical activity is an effective anti-depressant.
Aerobic exercise can reduce generalized anxiety as well as reduce anxiety sensitivity, which is a precursor to panic attacks and panic disorder.
Physical activity reduces stress. While everybody has different coping mechanisms for stress, exercise is the method most frequently recommended by health care professionals to reduce its symptoms. By bumping up the production of endorphins, physical activity relieves tension, elevates mood, and helps to stabilize sleep patterns disrupted by stress.
Benefits of a Stationary Bike Workout
Riding a stationary exercise bike is an efficient and effective way to burn calories and body fat while strengthening your heart, lungs, and muscles.
Cardiovascular or aerobic workouts, such as cycling, strengthen your heart, lungs, and muscles. They also improve the flow of blood and oxygen throughout your body. This, in turn, can benefit your health in a number of ways, including: improved memory and brain functioning, lower blood pressure, better sleep, improved blood sugar levels, a stronger immune system, better mood, lower stress levels and more energy.
Depending on the intensity of your workout and your body weight, you can burn more than 600 calories an hour with a stationary bike workout. Working out at a high intensity helps to burn calories and build strength, which, in turn, can lead to fat loss.
A previous study found that indoor cycling, combined with a low-calorie diet, was effective in reducing body weight and body fat in the study’s participants. It was also effective in lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The participants cycled for 45 minutes three times per week, and they consumed 1,200 calories per day for 12 weeks.
A stationary bike workout is a low-impact workout that uses smooth movements to strengthen bones and joints without putting much pressure on them. This makes it a good workout option for people with joint issues or injuries. Your ankles, knees, hips, and other joints can be put under a lot of stress when running, jogging, jumping, or doing other high-impact aerobic exercises.
Riding a stationary bike can help build strength in your legs and lower body muscles, especially if you use a higher resistance. The pedaling action can help strengthen your calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Additionally, it can work the muscles in your core, back, and glutes. If you use a bicycle with handles, you’ll also be able to work your upper body muscles, including your biceps, triceps, and shoulders.
Cycling outdoors can be a great way to exercise, but it does come with certain hazards, such as inattentive drivers, uneven or slick road surfaces, and poor visibility. Also, if it’s hot and humid, or cold and wet, it can be hard to muster up the motivation to head outdoors. It might not even be safe to do so. With indoor cycling, you don’t have to be concerned about traffic, road conditions, or the elements. You can work out safely at a comfortable temperature any time of the year.
Follow the latest news on Google News
