We understand most of us are super busy in this face-paced world and are in need of a better life balance. Instead of preaching that you must ride a certain amount of kilometres to get any benefit from cycling, we believe that incorporating even a short bike ride into your life has great benefits. A short spin around the neighbourhood with your kids, taking a leisurely ride with some friends or ditching the car for a bike commute to work once a week is realistic and a great start. It’s easier to start a habit by chipping away at smaller goals. Adding short rides into our lives will make us feel better about ourselves by lowering our carbon emissions coupled with improving our mental and physical health.
Here is a quick summary of 5 reasons its good to go for even a short spin:
Better Health
Cycling is a great way to build some physical activity into your life which reduces heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes risks. If you suffer from muscle strain, knee issues or back pain, cycling also reduces the risk of osteoarthritis because it is gentle on your joints and helps to preserve cartilage.
Time to connect with your family
Hopping on a bike is an easy activity to do with your kids. Taking your kids on rides through your local neighbour teaches your children about local streets and will help them to navigate on their own when they are old enough. You will also be showing your kiddos a healthy activity that they will enjoy for the rest of their lives.
Boost your mental health and well being
Going for a ride is taking a break for yourself to feel the sense of freedom so special to bike riding. Experiencing the outdoors on a bike, rather than looking at a computer or phone screen enhances your life and can help reduce stress and anxiety. The adrenaline and endorphins that cycling generates can also help to boost your mood - these ‘feel good’ hormones help to relax your mind and make you feel happier.
Be active while catching up with friends
Instead of meeting at a congested cafe why not plan an hour-long ride local cycle path? We find this is a great time saver because you can have a ‘catch up’ while getting some exercise. A win-win for everyone!
Alleviate symptoms of menopause
Every woman is affected by menopause differently, but cycling can help with the majority of menopausal symptoms. The feel-good hormones, that the body releases when you cycle can help to counteract the symptoms of low mood, anxiety and ‘brain fog’ that women commonly struggle with during menopause. Riding can also help improve sleep, which can be disrupted, either directly or indirectly as a result of night sweats. Some medical studies show that exercise will reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flushes associated with menopause.
We will take an in-depth look at each of these benefits in future blog posts.
Riding should be a fun experience and using a bike bell to greet people along the way is a simple way to keep it a safe experience too!