It’s no secret that to be fit and healthy you need to keep physically active. No matter the level of your regular physical activity, without it you could expect consequences to your health. Without regular activity, you could be at risk of a mirage of serious diseases such as, obesity, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, diabetes and arthritis.
To minimise the risk of serious disease have you considered riding your bike regularly? Regular riding is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of any serious health problems now and in the future. As cycling North Wales is a low-impact exercise it can be enjoyed by most people in a range of ages – from young children to older adults. It’s also a fun way to exercise, cheap to maintain and great for the environment.
It’s easy to combine cycling with your everyday routine including popping to the shops or riding to work. Did you know that an estimated one billion people ride their bicycles every day for transport, recreation and sport.
The Benefits
To see the real benefits from riding your bike, you only need two to four hours a week of riding to see a general improvement in your health. Some benefits include:
- Cycling gives your muscles a good workout as it uses all major muscles.
- It is a low impact workout, which means it causes less strain and injuries that most other forms of exercise.
- It’s incredibly easy to do and doesn’t require a high level of physical skill.
- Cycling increases your stamina and strength.
- You’re in control of how intense you want your workout to be and can be built up over time.
- Cycling is considered a fun way to get fit and means that you are more likely to continue to cycle regularly. It also is a great way to get out and about to improve mental health.
Why Cycle?
Need more convincing? Cycling is mainly an aerobic activity which simply means that your heart, blood vessels and lungs all get a workout. It will make you breathe deeper as well as make you hot and sweaty – all of which will improve your overall fitness level.
Obesity and weight control
Cycling is a great way to lose weight as it builds muscle and burns body fat. Although, if you are losing weight you will need to combine cycling with a healthy eating plan.
Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular diseases include high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack and regularly cycling stimulates and improves your heart, lungs and circulation reducing your risk of disease.
Cancer
Researchers have studied the relationship between exercise and cancer which has shown that if you cycle the chance of bowel cancer is reduced. There is some evidence too that the risk of breast cancer is reduced.
Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is on the increase and is becoming somewhat of a serious public health concern. It is thought that the reason for this is lack of physical activity. Researchers have found that people who cycled for more than 30minutes per day had a 40 percent lower risk of developing diabetes.
Bone injuries and arthritis
Cycling may even prevent falls and fractures as it improves strength, balance and coordination. As cycling is a low impact exercise it places little stress on joints.
Mental Illness
Mental health such as depression, stress and anxiety can be reduced with regular cycling. This is not only just because of the exercise itself but also because riding a bike is enjoyable too.