Health Benefits Of Riding A Bike

The health benefits of riding a bike are endless.

We’ve heard from a lot of people in the clinic, not being able to ride their bike or exercise regularly massively affects their health and overall quality of life.

To be fit and healthy you need to be physically active. There’s no other way around it… 

Don’t feel like you’re alone in this either. We hear from people everyday that their pain in their back, their knees or anywhere else in their body is why they aren’t able to stay active. We’re here to tell you… this is not the case. 

There is always an alternative exercise or modification to your activities that cater to your specific needs. We’re not saying you need to prep for the Tour de France… A simple lap around the block is a tremendous start!

Doing regular cycling and regular exercise can help improve your physical fitness, ease mental stress (with the rush of the endorphins and ‘feel-great’ chemicals that will be released), and it’s also a great way to reduce your weight, not to mention to see some nice sights if you pick a scenic route along the back roads or through the woods.

We’ve been celebrating Weekend Warriors recently, and for lots of patients at ProActive Physical Therapy and Wellness, this type of aerobic exercise (cycling) is a key part of their healthy lifestyle. Lots of people aged 50+ prefer riding a bike to running, as it has a lot less impact on your body.

Riding your bike regularly is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of health problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle such as obesity or heart disease.

If you’ve been dealing with arthritic knees or hips, a really stiff lower back, or even tightness of muscles such as your Achilles and calves regularly, then cycling is a great option, and you’ll likely benefit from doing it more often!

Bike riding is a low-impact exercise that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, but is something that anyone in their 50s or above who is looking to be more active should seriously consider. It offers an alternative to pounding the streets and it’s even better than walking if your objective is to stay active and healthy. 

Heck! You can even have a stationary bike and still binge the latest show on Netflix!

Here’s a number of health benefits to take in to consideration if you’re thinking about getting in to riding a bike regularly:

Even a ride for just 30 minutes or so at a time, two to four times a week, would help you to achieve a general improvement to your health! Why? Because you’ll be reducing the impact of the hard surface that can easily damage vital joints and at the same time, you’re still helping essential components like your heart and lungs to stay healthy.

Cycling is a low-impact exercise, as it causes less strain and injuries than most other forms of exercise. It’s a fun way to get fit, spend some time with friends or family and if done outside you can enjoy some beautiful scenery.

Cycling to work, to your favorite coffee shop, or to meet friends and family, is also one of the most time-efficient ways to combine regular exercise with your everyday routine.

You’ll feel a lot healthier if you vary your exercise habits and training or fitness plans and remain alert to the impact that doing the same thing day after day is having upon joints and muscles (it’s nearly always negative).

This type of regular exercise can be as intense as you want– cycling can be done at very low intensity to begin with, if recovering from injury or if you are feeling unfit, but can be built up to a more intense physical workout as you grow stronger.

Here are some facts on bike riding vs running…

Now let’s abolish a myth about bike riding: many people think that to have the same positive impact on your health as say going for a run, you have to do much more when riding a bike. We’ve found this confusion to be one of the most common objections when we suggest people should consider cycling.

It’s true that to get the endorphins and the feel-great rush you’re wanting from exercising, you do have to sit on your bike for a bit longer than if you were just going to head out for a run. However, cycling is a good overall muscle workout as it uses all of the major muscle groups as you pedal.

So, although it might not feel that way, you’re working just as hard, only much more safely in terms of the reduced impact on your knees and hips.

Do you enjoy riding your bike?

Maybe you cycle to stay active, cycle for a hobby, or you might even cycle to work?

We help lots of patients in the clinic that are struggling with aches and pains, but that love to cycle and are eager to get back in the saddle (or this case the seat)… especially with the weather being so glorious right now.

One of the things we hear from patients a lot, is that an injury is stopping them from doing the hobby or activities they enjoy most with their family or friends, or it stops their fitness routine. Not exercising regularly can really impact a lot of things.

At ProActive Physical Therapy and Wellness, we try to get people back to doing the things they enjoy doing most, as quickly as possible, to help with both their fitness and mental health.

Physical therapy can be the bridge between being injured and getting back doing the things that keep you active and heathy.

If you’re reading this now and feel like you can relate, or if you want to get back to fitness and good health now the weather is still favorable, we are here for you.

Our fantastic team would love to listen to your concerns and give you some advice or answer any questions you have. Please call us at 502.512.2165 to make time for a Discovery Visit!

We realize some people want more than just some free health tips… That’s why we offer expert advice about the worry and frustration of life-changing aches and pains – for FREE, in under 45 minutes. 

We call this a Discovery Visit.

Here are just a few of the things you will learn in one of our free Discovery Visit sessions… 

Our Discovery Visits are great for anyone that may be “unsure” if physical therapy is right for them, and they give you the opportunity to ask questions and see for yourself if we can help you.

P.S. Do you know someone with aches in their knees, hips, or a really stiff lower back? 

Who do you know that is always telling you about their aches and pains? We would love to help them live a pain free life too. 

That person could be someone who you live with, work with, or an extended friend or family member, who is maybe suffering with some kind of ache or pain that we can fix. It might even be someone you enjoy riding bikes with!