The first signs of summer are upon us; the days are longer, the nights are light, it’s warming up and time to get outside in the great outdoors. Summer is the perfect time to take up cycling, and the benefits of cycling are endless as are the country lanes you could soon be exploring. If you’re considering taking up cycling, there are an awful lot of good reasons to choose bike riding as your newest pass time. Here are just a few…
Cycling Improves Mental Well-being
Exercise is well known for boosting your mood because of the release of adrenaline and endorphins, and the improved confidence that comes from achieving new things. Cycling also combines physical activity with being outdoors and exploring beautiful views. You can either ride solo – which is excellent for giving you time and space to think and to clear your head, or you can ride with a group which is excellent for broadening your social circle.
Cycling Promotes Weight Loss
When it comes to weight loss, the simple equation is ‘calories out must exceed calories in.’ So you need to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight. Cycling burns calories: between 400 and 1000 an hour, depending on the intensity and your weight. Of course, there are other factors such as the make-up of the calories you consume as this affects the frequency of your refueling, as does the quality of your sleep and of course the amount of time you spend burning calories. This is all be influenced by how much you actually enjoy your chosen activity. Assuming you enjoy cycling, you’ll be burning calories, and if you eat well too, you should lose weight.
Cycling Builds Muscle
Cycling doesn’t just merely burn fat: it builds muscle as well and most notably around the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves. You won’t end up with quads like a track sprinter unless you invest a considerable amount of time at the squat rack. But you will develop a beautifully toned derriere.
Cycling Cuts Heart Disease And Cancer Risk
Cycling raises your heart rate and gets the blood pumping around your body, and it burns calories, limiting the chance of your being overweight. As a result, it’s among a selection of forms of exercise recommended by the NHS as being healthy ways to cut your risk of developing major illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. A study conducted by the University of Glasgow found that cycling to work can cut a rider’s risk of developing heart disease or cancer in half.
Cycling Saves Time
Short journeys in the car or even on the bus contribute massively to pollution levels. There’s also traffic to contend with, road works and other factors. Get on the bike, and you’ll save on your petrol or money on transport, and you’ll also save plenty of time.
So what are you waiting for? This gives you the perfect excuse to treat yourself to a new bike, a custom designed cycling merino jersey and get exploring all those cycle paths you never knew existed.
* This is a collaborative post
