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 | health information | health living | lifestyle | exercise | cycling | why cycle | makes you happy
Cycling makes you happy
Cycling can have positive effects on how we feel too.1 Moderate exercise has been found to reduce levels of depression and stress, improve mood and raise self-esteem, and has also been found to relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.2,3,4 And these benefits have been found in both adults and adolescents.5
The reasons why cycling (and physical activity in general) makes up happier may be due to a number of different factors:
- physical activity has an antidepressant effect, possibly due to the hormones produced during exercise. A review of studies into depression and exercise found that 90 per cent of the research had found that exercise helped to combat depression6
- physical activity lowers stress. One study found that regular exercise reduced chronic stress, life event stress and work stress7
- physical activity improves self-esteem. By helping to us to look better, we feel better. A study of 1000 exercisers in the UK by the mental health charity Mind, found that 59 per cent thought exercise had helped them to maintain their mental health. In fact, 94 per cent of gym members surveyed said that they thought there were additional benefits to exercise apart from better physical health - including improved appearance and enhanced sex drive - all of which contributed to a higher "feel good factor"
Regular cycling will also help you to be more active and independent in later life by maintaining your strength and coordination. Please see our next article: "Cycling maintains strength and coordination" for more information.
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References
- Mersy DJ. Health benefits of aerobic exercise. Postgrad Med 1991; 90: 103-7 and 110-2.
- www.nationalcyclingstrategy.org.uk/assets/NCS_topics/cycling%20and%20health%20final%20draft.pdf
- Rutter H. Modal shift. Transport and health. A policy report on the health benefits of increasing levels of cycling in Oxfordshire. www.modalshift.org/reports/tandh/print_version.htm
- Scully D, Kremer J, Meade MM et al. Physical exercise and psychological wellbeing. In MacAuley D (Ed.) Benefits and hazards of exercise. London: BMJ Books 1999.
- Steptoe P, Butler N. Sports participation and emotional wellbeing in adolescents. Lancet 1996 Jun 29; 347(9018): 1789-92.
- Byrne A, Byrne DG. The effect of exercise on depression, anxiety and other mood states: a review. J Psychosom Res 1993; 37(6): 565-574
- Iwasaki Y, Zuzanek J, Mannell RC. The effects of physically active leisure on stress-health relationships. Can J Public Health 2001 May-June; 92(3): 214-8.
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