The pedals that build your stamina

Sedentary lifestyle coupled with unhealthy eating is the major reason of increased incidence of lifestyle generated diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity and certain types of cancers. For this reason, people have become health conscious and are incorporating exercise in their daily routine.

While brisk walking, swimming, gym workouts and yoga are some of the most popular forms of exercise, cycling is one of the easiest and most effective ways to get moving.

The benefits of cycling are many more, as it is also an inexpensive and eco-friendly means of transport. It can be easily made a part of your daily schedule, as you need not do it as an exercise; all that you need to do is to cycle to work a few times a week and you can do great favor to your health, and also save fuel and help reduce pollution.

Cycling: The Key to Fitness and Stamina

The best thing about cycling is that it is a low-impact exercise, which makes it much easier on the joints as compared to the more vigorous exercises like running. Since it causes less strain on muscles and joints, it is more convenient to pedal for longer intervals. At the same time, the pedals have earned a well-deserved reputation for their effectiveness for building the stamina.

Stamina refers to the ability of the cardio-respiratory system to work over a period of time. Cycling improves the stamina as it requires lesser effort with the heart having to work at a slower pace, in comparison to fast paced exercises which require more intensity over shorter periods of time. On the other hand, the intensity of cycling can be varied as you can start slow and gradually work on the speed as well as time, as the stamina is built.

The benefits of moving the pedals do not end at strengthening your legs, but go much beyond that. In fact, cycling regularly enables you draw up the stored energy without getting excessively fatigued.

Aerobic Exercise with Comprehensive Benefits of major organs

It can well be seen that cycling is a comprehensive workout, which involves activity of almost all the major organs as well as bones, joints and muscles in the body. Being an aerobic activity, it gets the heart, lung and blood vessels in action. You will have to breathe deeper to replenish the oxygen supply in the body.

Additionally, it causes sweating and increase in body temperature. The metabolic rate increases and this leads to burning of body fat in a faster and more efficient manner. The strength and flexibility of muscles and bones is enhanced while the joint mobility also improves. Those who cycle regularly age well and also reduce the risk of various types of cancers.

Diabetic Support

Research has shown that cycling is an effective workout for countering the widespread disease of type II diabetes. In addition to managing the levels of blood sugar as other exercises do, cycling improves blood circulation in the lower limbs as well as results in lesser pressure on the feet as compared to conventional exercise forms. Primarily, lack of sensation and pressure in this area are the exercise-related complications (such as ulcers) faced by diabetics but cycling ensures that the condition is managed without these.

Effective Weight Loss Measure

If you have been looking for a weight loss measure that tones up your muscles too, then cycling is the best bet for you. It increases the metabolic rate, leading to burning of body fat in a faster and more efficient manner. While you can burn as many as 260 calories in an hour by cycling at a speed of 10 miles per hour, it also gives an extensive workout to the muscles of buttocks and thighs. Regularly done, cycling can give you a lean body structure. And most amazingly, it keeps burning calories even after you stop!

Remedial Measure for Arthritis

Another reason why cycling is regarded as one of the best physical exercises is the fact that it is a sure way to prevent and reduce arthritis, as it moves and flexes the muscles of the lower legs and thigh. Both, outdoor as well as static cycling is useful in this respect.

Stress Reliever

Cycling not only builds physical stamina but improves mental health too, as it relieves stress and anxiety. It promotes secretion of brain hormones and proteins such as Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor BDNF, which are instrumental in improving cognitive function and elevating mood.

This is a fun form of exercise which boosts concentration too as it requires balance and quick reaction. People actually enjoy cycling as an outdoor activity where they get an opportunity to experience fresh air and greenery around them. What more, it has also been recognized as a pain-alleviation strategy.

Cycling scores high as compared to various other forms of exercise as it is an enjoyable workout which can be done anytime of the day by people of all ages. So every time you turn the pedals, you are doing great favor to your health!