South Africans love endurance events; as a country, we are bursting at the seams with runs and rides and triathlons where people travel from all over the world to test themselves against the distance, the weather and the clock.
This is a good thing and a bad thing. It means that as a people we are always up for an adventure or pushing our bodies to the limit. But it does mean that some people can get left behind - not everyone strives to be an endurance athlete!
As a beginner cyclist, you could very well end up doing the Cycle Tour - which the Cycle Tour organisers would love. But what they also love is simply seeing people on bikes. Because bikes are better for everyone.
Think about it; start cycling to work, and hey presto, no traffic (it also means there is one less car on the road, so that equals less traffic for the people stuck in traffic).
Fewer cars on the road also means fewer obnoxious fumes being released into the environment. It also means you’re probably getting around a lot quicker. But time and convenience are not the only benefits of cycling.
The health and mental wellness benefits of this simplest of sports should have everyone heading to their local bike store.
No Sick Notes
Aerobic exercises - like cycling - have a positive impact on your immune system. A fitter, stronger immune system should leave you less susceptible to minor viral illnesses, such as colds and flu.
What’s more impressive though, is that cycling can lower the risk of many lifestyle diseases, as the Mayo Clinic notes: “Aerobic exercise reduces the risk of many conditions, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, stroke and certain types of cancer.”
Studies from Purdue University in the United States have shown that regular cycling can cut the risk of heart disease by 50 percent.
Happy Days
Various studies in recent times have shown that cycling is also a proven mood booster. “Any mild-to-moderate exercise releases natural feel-good endorphins that help counter stress and make you happy,” explains Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation in the United Kingdom. “Just three 30-minute sessions a week can be enough to give people the lift they need,” McCulloch tells Bike Rader.
An impressive study in the United States also showed how cycling can leave people in a better frame of mind. The study, published in the Lancet, took data from over 1 million people over a period of three years to determine the impact of exercise on a person’s mental health.
The study participants had to report back on what exercise they did and at what frequency. The results showed that all exercise improved overall mental health. Team sports, like soccer and rugby, came out on top, but cycling - indoors or outdoors - was second on the list, with cyclists enjoying 21.6 percent fewer bad mental health days than people who participated in 74 other forms of exercise.
It’s Fun
Apart from the well-documented health benefits, there is one huge upside to cycling that often gets overlooked - it’s fun. Zipping around on a bike, sightseeing at home or in foreign countries on two wheels, getting out into nature with like-minded friends - these are all aspects of cycling that people can forget about when they are too focussed on an event goal or weight-loss target.
Ride with your friends, encourage your family to join in, add a bike seat for your child to your bike and go on mini adventures; with the advent of cheaper bicycle technologies and the increase in e-bikes, the opportunity to ride for pure enjoyment is easier than ever.