The benefits of exercising daily are immense on our body and mind; cycling can give you all these benefits and even some more when done regularly. Cycling helps in working the muscles of your lower body as well as the muscles of your abs, back, shoulders and hands. It also works out your brain and can be an ideal way to revive your mood quickly releasing stress and tension. This article will discuss the health benefits of cycling daily, and you will know why as a kid we all were pushed by our parents to ride the bicycle.
Cycling for weight management
Putting on unwanted weight is one of the major concerns of a huge population in the society. In the current lifestyle, where our physical activities have been minimized keeping the weight in check can be a real trouble. Increasing weight invites all the diseases and hence keeping your weight in check is very important to enjoy a healthy life. Daily cycling can be highly effective to keep your weight in check. Cycling increases the metabolic rate of your body which helps in burning up more calories.
According to researches a person needs to burn out at least 2,000 calories in a week to maintain a healthy body weight when he/she is on a proper and nutritious diet. One hour of steady cycling burns around 300 calories and hence you can understand how immensely it can help you to manage weight.
Cycling for a toned body
Weight loss does not necessarily relate to body toning. When you are looking for a well-sculpted figure what you have to do is to concentrate on building the muscles. The only and most effective way for muscle building is exercising and as cycling involves more or less all the big muscles of the body, it is one of the most effective exercises to get a sculpted figure. Toning the muscles of the thighs, calves and the hips are not easy, but through daily cycling you can actually get those perfect legs.
Cardiovascular health and cycling
Heart diseases and other cardiovascular problems have become very common in our society. Regular cycling can be effective to ensure a better heart and cardiovascular health for everyone. As cycling helps in burning fat, automatically it promotes a better cardiovascular health. In addition to that it also improves blood circulation in the body and helps in stimulating the heart muscles.
Cycling in controlling diabetes
Diabetes is quickly taking the shape of a global disease and it is the high time when we should start adopting every measure to control it. Type 2 diabetes is often related with lack of physical activity and obesity. Regular cycling ensures that you maintain a healthy body weight which can be highly helpful to keep type 2 diabetes at bay. According to a research, people who cycle daily for over 30 minutes are at 40% lesser risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Cycling for relieving stress
Stress is a common problem in our daily life and fighting it is essential to lead a healthy life. Regular cycling works both ways to reduce stress. At one hand it boosts your mind by producing the feel good hormone through working of the muscles and on the other hand the feel of cycling can actually boost your mood. When you are feeling stressed out, just going out on a bicycle ride for 30 minutes can relax your senses preparing you to get back to the problems of daily life with a better approach.
Cycling for a sharp mind
Cycling can be really effective to give you a more active brain. It increases blood circulation not only to the muscles, but also to the brain which naturally results into better nourishment of the grey matter. Moreover, studies have proved when you pedal, the neurons light up and they increases creation of proteins like the BDNF and noggin that can encourage the growth of fresh neurons. So, by daily cycling you can actually increase the amount of your brain cells and enjoy a sharper memory.
Cycling can give you stronger bones and better joint mobility
Weak bones and reduced joint mobility is not anymore a problem that affects people only in old age. Sitting on the couch for the whole day staring at the computer screen has made these bone and joint problems common even amongst the people in their 30s and 40s. Cycling can be highly helpful to ensure better mobility of your joints and better strength of your bones. It can be even effective to deter arthritis.
Regular cycling can help you live longer
Cycling does not only make you healthier, it can also add to your lifespan. According to a study conducted in Norway, elder men of the age group 70 and 80 who cycled regularly for 30 minutes lived up to 5 years more than their counterpart who did not cycle daily. So, yes, cycling is actually something that can give you a healthier body and mind helping you to live longer.
Cycling is often preferred over many other types of exercises due to several reasons. Cycling involves a minimum risk of injury or sprain compared to other major impact exercises. It is easy to perform and along with your body it also works immensely on your mind. So, if you find exercising at your home or hitting the gym regularly really boring, just pick your bicycle and go out on daily rides to give a boost to your mood and health.
