Hey there viewers.
Physical activity is very important.
Not just to maintain a healthy weight, but also to keep your body fit and active.
Your physical AND mental health are linked to your activity levels.
People who aren't physically active often find themselves dealing with health issues
including diabetes, mental illness and arthritis.
One of the easiest ways to keep yourself active is to cycle.
Ride one whenever you get a change.
In today's video, we'll be talking about the health benefits of cycling.
Can it improve your muscle strength and flexibility?
How does it strengthen your bones?
We'll be talking about all of these AND more...
1.
Increases muscle strength and flexibility If you've ever biked, you know it involves
the use of various muscles including your arms and legs.
While peddling, your leg muscles are put to work.
For keeping the bike upright, you need the support of your arms.
Biking builds your muscles around the hamstrings, flutes, quads, and calves.
Regular cycling improves your stamina and makes you more flexible.
It's a great way to increase muscle strength.
Do you like cycling?
How often do you do it?
Did you notice any improvements in your flexibility?
Sound off in the comment section below, and start a conversation with our Bestie community...
Core workout
If you want to improve your core strength you should try cycling.
During cycling, the core muscles like your back and abdominals are involved.
A strong back and abdominals increase stability, provide support to your spine and enhance
comfort while biking.
Keeping the bike in position so that you don’t fall requires strength.
Also, maintaining your body upright while cycling requires core strength and aids in
building your core muscles.
If you want to work your core, include cycling in your workout routine.
Decrease fat levels and obesity
In our attempt to lose weight, we try a dozen different exercises.
We usually forget one basic activity...cycling!
Riding a bike can make your weight loss journey easier provided you’re eating a healthy
diet and cutting out processed foods.
To shed a few pounds, you need to burn more calories than you consume and exercise can
help you achieve that.
Cycling burns around 400 to 1000 calories an hour, depending on the intensity and rider’s
weight.
Surprising, isn’t it?
Regular cycling at a high intensity helps you lose body fat and promotes healthy weight
management.
It also boosts metabolism and builds muscle which increases the body's fat burning process.
Even while you’re resting!
If you’re overweight, you might have stamina issues, which makes it really hard to perform
high intensity workouts.
Don’t worry!
Cycling is a comfortable activity that helps build stamina and eventually aids weight loss.
Did you know that cycling in the morning helps you lose more weight?
In a study, it was found that people who biked before breakfast had an improved insulin response
that helped them burn twice the amount of calories.
So it's good to wake up a little earlier, not just 5 minutes before the zoom meeting.
Beneficial for people with cancer
People who have or are recovering from cancer should include cycling in their exercise plan.
I know it's easier said than done!
Biking offers a bunch of benefits to people with cancer.
It helps to reduce side effects of treatment such as fatigue, and improves their quality
of life.
Cycling helps to keep you fit and active.
It has been found that biking has the potential to reduce risk of certain cancers including
breast and colon.
Prevents risk of diabetes
Diabetes has become pretty common these days.
If you have diabetes, or want to prevent it, you need to include regular exercise in your
routine.
It has been found that lack of physical activity increases the risk of diabetes, especially
in people who have prediabetes.
Regular physical activity helps to manage blood sugar levels and body weight.
It also reduces the risk of diabetic complications including stroke and heart attack, and improves
overall health.
Cycling is a great form of exercise for everyone including diabetics and people with prediabetes.
It will help lower blood sugar levels, build immunity and improve stamina.
Diabetics usually suffer from neuropathy, where the nerves become damaged and can cause
joint pain.
Elderly people with diabetes also suffer from arthritis.
Because of these two conditions, diabetics are usually unable to perform intense workouts.
So cycling is the best way to engage in regular physical activity.
Diabetes also increases the risk of heart disease.
This brings us to our next entry on the list...
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Enhances cardiovascular fitness
Just like diabetes, blood pressure also increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
To prevent such cardiovascular diseases, you should cycle regularly.
Biking improves your heart and lung health, also enhancing blood circulation.
Regular cycling strengthens the heart muscles, decreases blood fat levels and lowers resting
pulse.
Today, when so many of us have the luxury of travelling in our own cars, we rarely use
bicycles to get around.
But if you do, there will be an improvement in your lung health and function.
You just have to ride more than twice a week.
While biking, you’ll be less exposed to harmful fumes and pollution.
I know cycling to the workplace isn’t easy, but you can try for the sake of your heart.
Improves posture and coordination
To ride a bike, you need to keep it upright.
In order to maintain balance, you need to stabilize your body.
All of this requires proper coordination.
Cycling regularly improves your posture, balance and coordination.
As you age, your posture and balance may decline, so regular cycling can help prevent this.
Strengthens bones
Cycling not only improves muscle strength, but also helps to build strong bones.
Exercise helps to build and maintain the strength of bones.
Cycling is very beneficial for your overall bone health, and for people with osteoporosis.
It’s low in impact and does not stress your joints.
Cycling can help your bones become strong, provided that you’re also eating decent
amounts of calcium.
Healthy bones are key for good health.
Would you like to learn about different ways to improve bone health?
Check out our video on 11 ways for you to build healthier bones.
Now back to our discussion on the health benefits of cycling...
Decreases stress and boosts mood
Remember how as a kid, you would love riding your bike around the neighborhood?
How fun was that?
Due to the pandemic we were all caught in our homes, which definitely took a toll on
everybody’s mental health.
While adjusting to the “new normal” and trying to find ways to overcome depression,
we forgot about cycling.
Biking causes the release of “feel-good hormones”, which helps to ease stress, anxiety,
depression and all kinds of negative thoughts.
Cycling requires you to focus on the road, which helps develop concentration and awareness
of the present moment.
This takes your mind off all the mental chatter.
When you go out cycling, you aim for a certain distance.
Once you reach it, you have a renewed sense of confidence.
You can ride solo, which gives you time to process all the worries and concerns.
Going biking with your friends is also a great idea to elevate your mood.
Joining wild cycling adventures will not only make you feel better, but will also help you
socialize and make new friends.
If you find yourself feeling lazy and gross, just ride your bike for 10 minutes.
You’ll slowly start enjoying it, and the “endorphin rush” after a good cycling
session will decrease your stress.
For long term benefits, consistency is the key!
Prevention and management of disease
It’s pretty clear by now that riding a bike can prevent a lot of health risks.
Today, most diseases are lifestyle diseases, meaning they’re a result of our poor lifestyle
choices.
Our daily physical activities are decreasing.
Given our busy lives, it's impossible to work out every day.
Cycling seems to be a way to add some exercise to your daily life.
It can help prevent high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes and cardiac issues.
More importantly, it will help you avoid sitting on the couch all day.
Excited to learn more about exercise?
Cycling is certainly a good cardio workout.
Not into cycling?
Well, there are other interesting and fun cardio workouts you can do to lose weight.
Let’s take a look at a couple more cardio-related videos, shall we?
Here’s what you should know…
Check out 16 cardio exercises you can do if you hate running.
Or how about getting rid of your love handles quickly with these 7 exercises?
Go ahead, click one.
Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about health and fitness.
Do you enjoy cycling?
Are you planning to include cycling in your workout routine after watching this video?
Let us know in the comments below!