According the British Medical Association, cycling 20 miles each week reduces the potential to develop heart disease by 50%. Cycling is another good form of exercise which helps increase stamina, cardiovascular fitness, leg strength and mental health. This does not necessarily mean gearing up and going for a long bike ride but can simply mean cycling to work instead of driving.
It doesn’t matter what shape you’re in before you start, cycling is available for everyone and you can go at your own pace. The saddle holds the majority of your body weight and so takes the pressure off your joints. An electric bike could an option to start with to help get you up those big hills. Cycling isn’t expensive apart from the initial cost of the bike and produces zero carbon pollution making it environmentally friendly and sustainable which is always a big positive.
It improves strength as it uses most of the bones in your body, obviously your leg muscles are used the most but your back and abs are used to stabilise your body and your shoulders and arms support you. Finally, cycling is for everyone, there are tricycles which offer more stable support and as I mentioned earlier electric bikes are available to give you a boost as and when you need it. You may have to ignore the odd angry driver behind you but other than that cycling a few times a week will put you well on your way to hitting the 150 minutes of exercise each week.
