We’re nothing short of media reports on climate change and how it will affect us soon if we keep doing what we do on a global level. From air pollution and gas emissions to how we acquire fuel, we’re a couple of steps away from disaster.
In addition, the modern way of life is making us more and more unhealthy. Aside from poor diets, the lack of regular exercise is behind every other obese person in the West. Although these two problems aren’t the only ones we should care about, we can do a lot by simply riding bikes.
In the following few paragraphs, we’ll take you through some pros of cycling in hopes of convincing you to give it a go.
It’s a Great Core Workout
Firstly, let’s talk about core strength. Riding your bike every day is one of the simplest means to level up your back and abdomen. The way it works is that while cycling, you keep your body in an upright position as you keep the bike fixed. This alone requires a certain amount of core strength, so just imagine what it can do if you keep cycling every other day, let alone every 24 hours.
This form of exercise is especially important for your spine, stability, and overall comfort in everyday life. Both abdominal and back muscles are the ones that keep your spine in a normal, straight position. This allows you to stand up straight, be stable while walking, and live a pain-free life well into your later years. Nevertheless, core strength is what helps people have proper body language and be more attractive too.
Improves Heart and Lung Health
Two of our worst enemies when it comes to health are heart and lung diseases. Strokes, heart attacks, and high blood pressure are three of the most common suspects for cardiovascular-related deaths. However, a study done in Denmark over the course of 14 years concludes how riding a bike can protect people from these diseases.
Cycling regularly can stimulate and improve your heart’s functions, including circulation. And when it does, it will positively affect your lungs, as they need proper blood flow to do their work. In essence, cycling is behind increased heart muscle strength. As such, it lowers the resting pulse and also reduces fat levels in your blood.
Furthermore, some studies found that people who take their bikes to work are less likely to expose their bodies to pollution. Moreover, people who ride motor vehicles are two to three times more prone to taking in dangerous gasses. With such statistics, we can safely say that people who cycle have much healthier lungs than those who don’t.
It Builds Muscle and Reduces Fat
As we said in the beginning, cycling and obesity don’t go hand in hand. In other words, riding a bike can help people reduce fat and build muscle, just like going to the gym does. The way it succeeds in doing this is that it helps your body raise its metabolic rate. And once it does, your organism will build muscle and burn fat.
However, simply riding a bike won’t do much if you don’t mix it with a healthy diet. A good eating plan will lay down the foundation for what cycling will do afterward. And in case you have trouble starting exercise due to lack of motivation, you don’t need to worry. Cycling is a comfortable way of working out as it doesn’t require you to go to a gym. You just sit on your bike, and off you go, wherever and whenever you want.
Some research suggests that burning around 2,000 calories a week is optimal for most people when exercising. And when you translate that into cycling, it means that you can accomplish your weekly task by steadily riding a bike for an hour and a half.
Promotes Better Sex Life
One of the best cycling effects is that it helps promote a better sex life. Indeed, riding your wheels every so often can help you make your body fitter, so your chances of finding a sexual partner will skyrocket in a few months.
On the other hand, by simply being on a bike, you increase the chances of others liking you. And no, we didn’t just come up with this. A certain study done by the British Heart Foundation concluded that people think cyclists are way cooler and attractive in others’ eyes.
Furthermore, riding a bike helps you relax. It allows your brain to release more happy hormones, just like pot does. That helps people get sexually aroused more easily. Yet, that’s not all. The more you ride your wheels, the more you’ll up your stamina, making you last longer in bed.
And to finish this sex talk off, another study done by Harvard University suggests that most elder swimmers still have an active sex life. And seeing how cycling and swimming activate similar muscles, having fun in bed will be no problem, even if you’re over sixty.
Enhances Mental Performance
Another great health benefit of cycling is that it helps with your mental state. From easing depressions, reducing stress, and lowering anxiety, riding a bike is a great way to change your mood and improve your mental health in general.
However, it’s not just about dealing with mental illnesses. While you cycle, you need to focus on the road. That way, your mind will learn to concentrate, and your overall awareness will increase. You can use this benefit in all other aspects of life, making cycling both a great physical and mental exercise.
On the flip side, it’s not unusual for people to feel like they don’t have a purpose at a certain moment. For whatever reason, this feeling can take you down. But that’s where a bike should come in. Riding it for a mere 10 minutes can help your brain release happy hormones and eliminate the feeling of emptiness. That is also a great way to deal with stress levels too.