Most of us learn to cycle during our childhood but tend to forget the thrill of cycling as we enter adulthood. Cycling to work hands down the best mode of transportation and comes with its own benefits that are hard to ignore.
Improves mental health
The sight of birds chirping or children playing joyfully across the street is bound to put a smile on your face and help you start off your day on a positive note. The appreciation for nature and all the beauty that it reflects helps release endorphins also known as the ‘’happiness hormones’’.
There are consistently decreased levels of stress within initial 45 minutes of work among employees who commuted via cycling in comparison to those who travelled via car to work as found by a study published in Science Daily
Reduces risk of cardiovascular and lung diseases
Stroke, high blood pressure and heart attack are grave diseases which can be prevented by regular cycling. Researchers have found that cycling stimulates blood circulation, makes the heart muscles stronger and improves lung function [1].
The activity of 1500 people was followed for the duration of 5 years and the results which were published in a recent study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise suggested that being regularly active was coupled with a 31% lower chance of having hypertension [2].
Helps look younger
Exercise brings about certain changes in the body that help improve collagen production which in turn fastens healing and decreases the formation of wrinkles. It’s time to invest in a bicycle instead of all the anti-ageing creams. A study by the scientists at Stanford University concluded that the grave effects of UV radiation and early ageing signs can be prevented by regularly cycling [3].
Lowers the risk of obesity
It comes as no surprise that cycling helps lose fat as it’s a total body workout. Cycling is ideal to burn a few calories and increase muscle strength as its intensity and duration can be customized to suit each individual’s stamina.
You can better utilize your time while riding a bicycle than working out in a gym as the fat shed for 40 minutes of exercise in a gym 5 days a week is equivalent cycling to work. Bicycle commuting burns an average of 650 calories per hour; imagine all the calories burned at the end of a month without the struggle of finding the time to go to a gym [4].
Adds to longevity
Cycling not only reduces the risk of certain diseases but also helps you live longer.
David Spiegelhalter, the Winton Professor of Risk at Cambridge University found that the lifespan of an individual prolongs by an hour after they’ve cycled for one hour. I suppose it won’t be wrong to conclude that cycling is the key to a long, healthy and adventurous life [5].
Decreases pollution
As a cycle is purely run by manual strength and not fuel, hence it doesn’t release harmful fumes in the environment; in fact, it helps save fuel. A bicycle releases 21g of carbon dioxide whereas a car produces 271g of carbon dioxide every kilometre as found by the European Cyclists Federation in 2013 [6].
