Your fitness level is important for your well-being. Exercising regularly improves mental health, staves off chronic illness, and can reduce the risk of early death. People who exercise regularly are also more productive and less prone to depression. When you ride a bike, you literally pedal your way to good health, whether you ride for fitness or transportation.
Reducing Stress
Biking relieves stress and helps fight depression by enabling you to focus on something other than your problems, no matter how minor. It can help you clear your mind and concentrate on the present moment, rather than worrying about the past or fearing the future. You can also connect with others in a positive way while biking to social events or just to a friend’s house.
Burning Calories
Riding a bike helps you burn calories. It’s a low-impact exercise and requires little effort, making it easy to combine with other workouts. Your heart rate will peak during practice, and will steadily decline as you ride for an hour or more. As you keep riding, the energy needed to maintain your body will decrease, leading to an increase in overall calorie burn.
Improving Your Fitness Level
Biking strengthens your cardiovascular system, helping you burn more calories when not riding. The more often and longer you ride a bike, the more fit and healthy your heart will become. Strengthening your heart increases longevity and reduces the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
Lowering Blood Pressure
Riding a bike for at least an hour a day can help control blood pressure, lower stress, and reduce anxiety levels. Your heart will beat faster and your blood pressure will rise when you ride for a short period of time, but falls as the intensity of your workout increases. This is because moderate exercise boosts the production of endorphins that reduce stress and lower blood pressure.
The health benefits of riding a bike are numerous, so it’s a great idea to join a cycling club or participate in organized rides. Explore your area and see what options are available before deciding where to ride. Also, consider joining a fitness program that includes riding to ensure you are getting the maximum benefit from your workouts.