Cycling for health and fitness
By Er Taraprasad Mishra
Jajpur, Aug 23 : Cycling is the best way to get in shape, enjoy the outdoors, and have fun while you’re doing it. Unfortunately, many people think bicycles are for kids and often overlook the positive physical and psychological health benefits of cycling. If you ride bike for thirty minutes every day, you would burn eleven pounds of fat in a year, build lean muscle, boost your metabolism, and dramatically decrease your chances of acquiring heart disease.
The immediate physical results of cycling will boost your self-esteem and you’ll find yourself wondering why you didn’t start pedaling down the road to good health sooner. Bicycles have become even more important in recent times. While they have been offering us many advantages for a long time, they are very vital now.
It is because of the rate at which pollution is growing in the world, they offer a greener way to commute. In other words, bicycles do not require any petrol or diesel which harms our atmosphere. Further, it does not leave a carbon footprint as well. Thus, it is a great choice for everyone especially those who are environment-friendly .
After that, we see that bicycles do not possess the potential to harm anyone, unlike bikes, cars and buses. If you ride a bicycle, you are less likely to hurt someone or get in an accident as compared to ones who ride bikes or drive cars. Most importantly, bicycles are great for our health.
There are numerous benefits which cycling offers to ensure a healthy life. It is not only a great alternative to gym workouts but also helps prevent cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, bicycles help to preserve our health. Similarly, they do not harm the environment. Moreover, they are also very beneficial as we can go through narrow roads with a bicycle which we cannot do with bikes or cars
· Cycling can help to protect you from serious diseases such as stroke, heart attack, some cancers, depression, diabetes, obesity and arthritis. Riding a bike is healthy, fun and a low-impact form of exercise for all ages. Cycling is easy to fit into your daily routine by riding to the shops, park, school or work.
To be fit and healthy you need to be physically active. Regular physical activity can help protect you from serious diseases such as obesity, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, diabetes and arthritis. Riding your bicycle regularly is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of health problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Cycling is a healthy, low-impact exercise that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, from young children to older adults.
It is also fun, cheap and good for the environment. iding to work or the shops is one of the most time-efficient ways to combine regular exercise with your everyday routine. An estimated one billion people ride bicycles every day – for transport, recreation and sport. Cycling can improve both physical and mental health, and can reduce the chances of experiencing many health problems.
Cycling is a good way to control or reduce weight, as it raises your metabolic rate, builds muscle and burns body fat. If you’re trying to lose weight, cycling must be combined with a healthy eating plan. Cycling is a comfortable form of exercise and you can change the time and intensity – it can be built up slowly and varied to suit you.
Research suggests you should be burning at least 8,400 kilojoules (about 2,000 calories) a week through exercise. Steady cycling burns about 1,200 kilojoules (about 300 calories) per hour. If you cycle twice a day, the kilojoules burnt soon add up. British research shows that a half-hour bike ride every day will burn nearly five kilograms of fat over a year.
Cardiovascular diseases include stroke, high blood pressure and heart attack. Regular cycling stimulates and improves your heart, lungs and circulation, reducing your risk of cardiovascular diseases. The rate of type 2 diabetes is increasing and is a serious public health concern. Lack of physical activity is thought to be a major reason why people develop this condition.
Large-scale research in Finland found that people who cycled for more than 30 minutes per day had a 40 per cent lower risk of developing diabetes. Cycling improves strength, balance and coordination. It may also help to prevent falls and fractures. Riding a bike is an ideal form of exercise if you have osteoarthritis, because it is a low-impact exercise that places little stress on joints.
Cycling does not specifically help osteoporosis (bone-thinning disease) because it is not a weight-bearing exercise . Mental health conditions such as depression, stress and anxiety can be reduced by regular bike riding. This is due to the effects of the exercise itself and because of the enjoyment that riding a bike can bring.
Hand cycles are similar to recumbent tricycles, but they are powered with hand instead of foot pedals. Velcro straps can be used to secure the hands to the pedals if necessary. This style of tricycle allows amputees, people with spinal injuries and those recovering from certain conditions such as stroke to cycle as a form of exercise and recreation.
Hand cyclists get cardiovascular and aerobic benefits similar to those of other cyclists. To sum it up, bicycles are great in every aspect, whether it is regarding our health or the health of nature. Moreover, it is also not heavy on the pocket. With the world getting polluted at a faster rate day by day, it is essential for us to switch to bicycles for a healthier life and greener future.
