You ever feel anxious?
But you can’t pin down exactly why?
Even when the evidence indicates that things aren’t so bad, you sense nothing but impending
doom.
As if your entire life and everything you’ve worked for is about to come crashing down.
Sometimes this just means you’re hungry and need to eat something before you murder
the planet.
In my case, it’s a nutrient deficiency of a totally different kind.
If you’ve ever set out on a ride, a run, or a hike with a head full of problems, you
know it’s better than any therapy that exists.
And I don’t say this in some hippie new agey way—No there’s actual evidence that
exercise makes us feel better.
And in the case of mountain biking, the benefits stretch far beyond just feeling good.
For those of us blocked off from the light of day by an office or warehouse, experiencing
nature is therapeutic all by itself.
We could all use a little fresh air, and most definitely some vitamin D.
Climbing is also intense exercise.
And like any real workout it causes your body to release endorphins, which relieve stress
naturally.
Activities like climbing are quite possibly the healthiest way to get high.
And given the growing evidence that prolonged stress can send you to an early grave, the
risks associated with descending from that climb are a little easier to come to terms
with.
A descent gives you an instant reward, in a way a stationary bicycle or treadmill just
can’t deliver.
Exhilaration is a great incentive to climb again, and when you’re smashing through
a rock garden, it’s hard to focus on anything but the boulders immediately ahead of you.
This tunnel vision helps you unplug, and in turn leaves you feeling better afterwards.
Because once you’ve had your fill of nature, climbing, and rock smashing, your brain works
better.
Problems that seemed serious, will suddenly have simple solutions.
Stress that existed for no apparent reason, will often times have vanished.
If you don’t believe me, you should try it.
But despite the amazing benefits of an activity like mountain biking, many of us have trouble
finding time to do it.
We tend to look at it as a leisure activity, reserved for the weekend, or after all our
other obligations are satisfied.
I would make the argument that mountain biking and other intense physical activities should
be prescribed like medicine.
I’m not making the ridiculous claim that it can cure ailments like the flu, but it
can absolutely contribute to better physical and mental health.
In fact, many of you already do prioritize your daily ride like you would sleep or a
doctor’s visit.
Many bike companies have pump tracks on site.
Some offer extended lunch breaks for their employees to go ride, or schedules that allow
for daylight in the after work hours.
As riders, they understand that the time you spend on the trail comes back tenfold in sanity
and productivity.
But if you’re outside the industry, your family and colleagues may not feel the same
way.
Your parents, your spouse, or your employer, might view mountain biking as a silly and
needlessly risky activity that you spend way too much time and money on.
It’s not easy to make them understand.
They only see a long string of injuries, a constant flow of damaged clothing, and lost
hours that could have been spent on more important things.
They also see that poison oak on your forearm.
But what they don’t see is the harm that sitting around can do.
For every serious injury incurred as a result of mountain biking, there are ten you can
develop from sitting around the house and being inactive.
For every dollar you spend on bikes and gear, someone out there is spending money on drugs,
prescribed or otherwise in an attempt to treat their mental instability.
Some do so for good reason, but many are medicating their way out of problems that could be pedaled
into submission.
And here’s where I sort of do get into some hippie new agey benefits of mountain biking,
like the fact that it lets you tune out.
Meditation, in an oversimplified way, can be described as focusing on one thing.
And when you’re zeroing in on the rocks ahead of you, or putting one pedal in front
of the other until you reach the summit, you are enjoying some of the same benefits of
meditation.
Like shaking an etch a sketch full of nonsense, a ride can and will leave you with a blank
slate.
While mountain biking is definitely great exercise, a stress reliever, and a way to
tune out, many of us experience mostly trivial first world problems on a day to day basis.
Mountain biking or any enjoyable physical activity can easily alleviate the stress associated
with these, but what about real life changing problems?
I’ve actually received messages, and heard in-person accounts from people on the tail
ends of the darkest events of their lives.
Many have sworn to me, that mountain biking is what got them through it.
Daily rides gave them temporary relief from difficult situations, the mental stability
to work through their problems, and the confidence to face them.
It’s hard to say if mountain biking itself could be singularly credited for these turnaround
stories, but should I find myself hated by the entire internet and in the midst of a
terrible career ending scandal, I’m not sure where I would turn besides the trail.
The information in this video may sound like it’s coming from a militant mountain biker,
who insists it’s the solution to all the worlds’ problems.
But you could extend these arguments to hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, swimming, or any
other activity that people perform daily to better their lives.
It’s time our schools, employers, and societies put a higher value on outdoor recreation,
and stop viewing it as extra thing that’s kind of nice to have.
Indeed some of us live to ride, but we should really look at it as riding to live.
So the next time work, stress, and obligations get in the way of of going for a pedal, you
might consider pushing life aside and going anyway.
Because if you don’t take care of your mind and body, they might not always be in a position
to take care of you.
Thanks for riding with me today, and I’ll see you next time.