Riding a bicycle. Just saying it conjures up images of kids on their metallic red horses with streamers on the handlebars and baseball cards strapped to the spokes. Well, either that or fitness freaks doing a 50 mile ride to shake off that extra glass of wine from a weekend get together. Most of us haven't even owned a bicycle in years. We face our rite of passage and lose the training wheels to become free only to turn our backs on the pedals as soon as our driver's permit hits the mailbox. The downside of this transition is losing the bicycle often translates into not losing those extra pounds. A healthy diet can only go so far in keeping the pounds off, and the body needs regular exercise to maintain optimal health. Bicycling uses many muscle groups and provides aerobic stress as well. Here are some benefits to adult cycling:
1. Heart health - Cycling improves cardiovascular health, which minimizes the risk of coronary heart disease.
2. Muscle health - Riding a bicycle can greatly assist you in toning or building muscle groups in the lower body. It is also a great non-impact workout for those with joint injuries that may keep them from exercise.
3. Waistline help - Biking burns a lot of calories, especially biking at a fast pace. It also speeds up your metabolism, even after you're done riding. This means that riding a bike can help keep your weight gain down.
4. Lifespan improvement - Bicycling increases your longevity through its many health benefits.
5. Coordination skills - To cycle, you must move both feet in circles while steering with both hands. This increases your coordination abilities.
6. Mental health - Cycling has been linked to better mental health. Perhaps it is due in part that cycling can be relaxing and melts all exercise melts the stress off while using endorphines to increase your mood.
7. Immune health - Riding a bike can increase your immune system strength. This will help your body in the fight against certain kinds of cancers and illnesses.
8. Stamina improvement - Because cycling is such a great cardiovascular workout, this also strengthens your lungs and builds stamina.
Take back the days when you enjoyed to ride a bike instead of immediately hopping in a car. Hop on your bicycle and let the many health benefits begin. You don't have to be Lance Armstrong to ride these days. The great thing about cycling is that it's like riding a bike.
http://dsc.discovery.com/adventure/the-top-7-health-benefits-of-cycling.html
http://www.adultbicycling.com/component/content/article/9-bicycling-basics/37-health-benefits-of-cycling-ii.html
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