7 Great Health Benefits Of Long-Distance Cycling

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Intro

For many of us cyclists who have been riding for years, we understand and appreciate the many physical and mental health benefits of riding your bike. But if you’re a beginner to cycling and not sure whether to give it a try, then keep reading.

Cycling has a significant amount of benefits, both physical and mental, that all go way beyond just helping you keep yourself slim, although that is a great added bonus. A couple of benefits that you might not have thought of are that by regularly cycling, you can help keep the earth greener while meeting new friends and riding with family.

In my opinion, there is simply nothing better than riding your bike out in the mountains or along an ocean road with the wind blowing in your face. A couple of the primary reasons I love to ride my bike daily are that it helps me stay fit and healthy for my age and, more importantly, helps me clear my mind from the everyday work and life stresses.

Additionally, when it comes to health benefits, cycling has also been linked to helping people with physical conditions such as weight loss, obesity, chronic arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. It doesn’t matter if you are a boy or girl, young or old; beginner or pro, cycling can be a game-changer for transforming people’s bodies and minds.

Cycling is low impact, fun, a great way to meet new friends, and is very cheap when compared to driving a car. So next time you’re thinking of jumping in your car to run errands, think twice and jump on your bike; trust me, your body, the earth, and your wallet will thank you for it.

Health Benefits Of Long Distance Cycling

The 7 Best Benefits Of Long-Distance Cycling

When everyday people picture cycling, they think of notions and images of ridiculously slim athletes in skin-tight lycra outfits that look like something from another world. Cycling is also an expensive sport, which can deter many people from taking it up as a serious sport or hobby.

The vast majority of people ride their bikes with family and friends on the weekend for a little bit of fun and not really for fitness as their main priority. The greatest aspect of cycling is that because it’s a low-impact sport, it means that if you wanted to, you could ride every day.

Most people certainly can’t run every day, which is why many people have started to turn to cycle to stay fit and healthy and keep their body weight under control.

Cycling Is A Low-Impact Sport

Cycling is categorized in the sporting world as a low-impact activity, which means that it is great for the body and places very little stress on your joints, muscles, and ligaments.

Cycling is an excellent sport for people new to fitness, those recovering from injury, and the elderly. Cycling also offers great physical benefits for people who lack mobility in their joints and for those partaking in rehabilitation programs.

Cycling Offers A Great Full-Body Workout

When most people think about the muscles that cycling targets, they suggest muscles such as those in your legs, like your quads and gluteus. But in actual fact, cycling provides riders with one of the best low-impact full-body workouts of any sport out there.

long distance cycling body health benefits

Cycling places a great deal of demand on muscles such as your:

Core
Shoulders
Arms
Wrists
Traps

Cycling is also a great way to develop grip strength because you can be holding the handlebars for as long as eight hours, especially if you’re on a 100-mile ride.

Learning To Ride A Bike Is Easy

Most sports demand that athletes not only learn new skills but master new complex skills, too, such as jumping, landing, agility, speed, strength, and power. But this is not the case with cycling.

Cycling is easy, keeps you fit, and requires little to no fitness skills. This is very good news, especially for beginners who are just starting out in the sport. Furthermore, most households have bikes, so it’s very easy to get the whole family started.

Cycling Is Great For Strength and Conditioning

Did you know that cycling is also one of the best ways to improve your strength and conditioning? Not only does cycling help to boost your aerobic fitness levels, but it also places great emphasis on your stabilizer muscles leading to a stronger and more balanced rider.

Put simply, cycling can drastically enhance your physical strength and condition, and it does so in a way that places no stress on the joints or muscles. Holding onto the handlebars might look easy but try doing it for 6 or 7 hours at an anime; it’s not as easy as it seems.

Cycling Lets You Choose Your Workout Intensity

When you ride your bike, chances are you’ll have access to a whole heap of gears. Not only do gears mean that you can smash up steep inclined mountains or descend like a beast, but gears also help you find a workout intensity that is perfect for you.

Cycling Is A Lot Of Fun

Cycling is a heck of a lot of fun, and even to this day, every time I ride my bike, it makes me feel like a kid again. Just me, the fresh air, mother nature, and the sound of my freehub spinning and whooshing round and round.

Nowadays, it’s even more fun because I can get out on the bike and ride with my 11yo daughter. She loves cycling too, and when we ride together, it puts a smile on both of our faces. When I asked my daughter why she likes riding her bike, she said, “I like to go fast;” that’s my girl.

Cycling Is Effective, Practical, and Efficient

How much time do you waste each morning sitting in your car at the traffic lights on the way to work? A lot, right? Why not start riding your bike and commuting to work?

I can’t think of a better way to:

Use your time more effectively,
Save money on gas, tolls, and taxes
Help the environment and
Get fit and healthy all at the same time.

Conclusion

Wow, what a comprehensive article outlining all the wonderful benefits of long-distance cycling. Whether it’s physical, mental, or even emotional, cycling can help almost any health condition.

Cycling has been shown to help people maintain healthy body weight, help to mitigate the chance of cardiovascular disease, and does an excellent job of relieving stress.

So if you’re not a cyclist, I hope that after reading the health benefits above, I’ve convinced you to give it a try; I know you’ll love it.

Intro