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Cycling and healthPublished by Bupa's health information team, healthinfo@bupa.com, April 2008 This article looks at the health benefits of cycling, offers tips on cycling safety and gives links to information about cycling routes. Cycling is a great way to achievereach the recommended daily 30 minutes of moderate exercise, five days a week. You can easily incorporate it into a busy lifestyle without needing to put extra time aside for exercise. Regular cycling protects you against a wide range of illnesses and can also be is one of the most efficient ways to travel. And you can easily build bike rides into a busy lifestyle without having to set time aside for exercise. This article looks at the health benefits of cycling, offers tips on cycling safety and gives links to cycling routes. Cycling is good for your heart and healthCycling that leaves you slightly breathless is a form of aerobic exercise. This is the type of exercise that most effectively promotes good health and reduces the risk of serious conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.2 The average daily cyclist enjoys a degree of physical fitness equivalent to someone who is 10 years younger.3,4 Cycling boosts your fitness Exercise that raises your heart rate is aerobic exercise, which makes you fitter. This means your body becomes gets better at using oxygen so you can be more active without getting tired. Cycling that makes you breathless is a great example of aerobic exercise. Even a small amount of cycling can make you fitter. One A UK study in people who didn't previously exercise found that cycling a short distance four times a week for just six weeks was beneficial. It that aerobic fitness was boosted aerobic fitness by at least 11 percent percent after just six weeks of cycling short distances, four times a week. The longer and more frequently often that people cycled, the more their aerobic fitness improved. The study also found that inactive people who start to cycle regularly move from the bottom third of the population in terms of fitness, to the half of the population who are fittest, in just a few months. In fact, someone who cycles daily is as fit as someone 10 years younger. Cycling helps prevent illnessAnother good reason to hop into the saddle - aerobic exercise such as cycling reduces the risk of a whole range of serious or life-threatening conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. Cycling helps and control your weight managementCycling is a great way to help manage your lose excess weightweight. In an average 60kg person, moderate cycling It burns about 300 180 calories in half an an hour - , about the same as you get in which is equivalent to the energy supplied by a small one bar of milk chocolate. A 3015-minute bike ride a day five times a week will can burn off off about 11lb of fat a year or more..6 And if you keep Because exercising regularly, the activity is frequent, this e weight is likely to stay off. You will find that w and weight loss will be even more effective if you stick to a healthy diet, high in fruit and vegetables and wholegrain carbohydrates and low in sugary, fatty foods. combined with changes to what you eat. Cycling can improve your moodCycling can also have positive effects on how you feel. It can improve your mood, raise your self-esteem, 7reduce stress and help you sleep better. And studies have found that physical activity can be as effective as drugs or psychotherapy for treating Moderate exercise has been found to reduce levels of depression and stress. It can also improve mood and raise self-esteem. Cycling can help to maintain healthy joints strength and coordinationFor your joints to work at their best, you need to use them regularly. Regular cycling improves strength andgives your knee joints a good work out and prevents your thigh muscles from becoming weak. Leading a generally active lifestyle, which could include some cycling, can help protect against osteoarthritis, painful inflammation of joints. Cycling also improves your co-ordination, which in turn can reduce s the the risk of injury and falls and injury. Older people who cycle regularly are much less likely to suffer from musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. For many people who suffer from joint or bone problems, cCycling can be an excellent choice is one of the best forms of exercise if you already suffer from joint problems like arthritis, because unlike some other activities - eg running or racquet sports - it has a low impact it takes the weight off your body and does not exert too much pressure on their your joints. Cyclists breathe in fewer fumes than car driversPeople who live in cities are often put off cycling because they you are are worried about breathing in traffic pollutionfumes. Studies have shown that c However, cyclists and pedestrians actually breathe in absorb lower levels of pollutants from traffic fumes than car drivers. Is cycling suitable for everyone?Almost anyone can cycle, regardless whatever your of their age or level of fitness. You should speak to your GP before you start to exercise if you have a potential health complication such as heart disease, high blood pressure, back problems, arthritis, osteoporosis, joint pain or diabetes, or if you are recovering from an illness. However, don't assume that your illness will stop you being active. It may be more important than ever that you exercise, as this can help you to recover and feel good. Cycling tipsGetting startedHow much you cycle will depend on your level of fitness and lifestyle. Start by using your bike for short journeys, and gradually increase the distance and speed. Ride your bike to places you would normally travel to by car or public transport. In a few weeks, your aerobic fitness will have improved and you should be able to ride for miles without feeling anything more than a little puffed out. HelmetsThe road safety charity Brake states there is increasing evidence that cycle helmets can reduce the number and severity of head injuries, and save lives. Try to find a helmet that is standard-approved. It's best to get expert advice from someone in a bike shop about how to fit and wear a helmet correctly. Keep at itMost people who drive to work by car travel five miles or less, a distance easily achieved by bicycle. In a big city like London, you can cover four miles in about 22 minutes on a bike - that distance takes an average of 40 minutes by car. As you whizz past drivers stuck in jams, remind yourself that you are getting to your destination faster, have no travel costs and are keeping fit at the same time. Once you have built up your fitness, you can start to take longer routes or try mountain biking. Racing against other cyclists, or against the clock, can be a good motivation to increase distance and speed. Whichever form of cycling you choose, the most important thing is that you have fun while you're doing it. Cycle routesThese days, you can enjoy cycling without having to do it on traffic-filled roads. Many local authorities publish free cycle route maps, and tourist information centres often have details of scenic cycle paths. The National Cycle Network is co-ordinated by Sustrans and currently provides more than 10,000 miles of cycling routes throughout the UK. About one third of the network is on routes free from cars and lorries, with the rest using quiet lanes or traffic-calmed roads. Traffic-free sections of the Network include disused railway paths, canal towpaths, forest tracks, country parks and bridle-ways. Many routes run from town to town, or from city centres into the countryside. While the National Cycle Network is ideal for great days out or cycling holidays, many people simply use it as an alternative route to work or school. Key points
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