If not, go ahead and look at it again. Finished? OK. Look at it one more time, just to be sure you bask in the simplicity of what it's telling you. Feel like you've got it? Alright. Let's continue.
It may come as something as a shock to some of you, but I'm something of a biking enthusiast. And for good reason. Beyond getting me outside to enjoy this gorgeous San Diego weather, there's a ton of benefits to riding your bike. I'll try to stay away from the obvious ones. Or if I touch on them, I'll expand on them, and hopefully you'll learn something new. Let's go for a ride, shall we? Pun intended.
First off, riding your bike improves not only your leg strength, but also improves heart health and strengthens your core. Yeah, that "core" thing that you spent so much time in yoga class developing? Go ride your bike. It'll help. But wait. I said that it also improves heart heath, right? It does. Just doing the equivalent of three, 45 minute rides per week can not only increase your hearth health by 3-7%, but you'll also be "biologically younger," which has even more benefits. In short, though, it makes your body more efficient at regenerating cells, fighting off illness, it keeps you looking younger, and it helps you live longer. And finally, it reduces the risk of heart disease by nearly 50%. Yeah, you read that right. That's 50%. Cheerios, your move.
Next, a fairly obvious one. Cycling reduces your stress levels. Now, first off, I don't want to claim that that's something only cycling does. Working out in general will help reduce your stress levels. I don't know about you guys, though, but I, personally, hate going to the gym. Mainly because it feels like a chore. I feel like it's something I have to do. It's hot, the A/C can't quite keep up, it smells like sweat, and some other person keeps hogging the machine that you need to use so you can just finish up and go home. But none of that applies to riding a bike! First off, riding a bike outside helps your body reset its internal clock, which helps you get a deeper, more restful sleep. Plus, it helps flush out the chemical your body normally produces when it's stressed, which is part of the reason you feel happier, more relaxed, and energetic after a ride.
Ride your bike. Get smarter. Don't believe me? Researchers have shown that a 5% increase in your cardiovascular health not only helps out your heart (like I said above), but that it helps boost your brain by up to 15%! You see, by taking part in a low to mid intensity exercise, the added flow of oxygen to your brain helps it not only regenerate current cells, but also produce new ones. Most commonly, the largest increase was in memory retention, something that starts to deteriorate once ya hit 30. Ride your bike, remember more things more better!
None of this convincing you? OK. I've got one last argument. Save money by riding your bike. Now, numbers here are a bit tougher to calculate, simply because there's a lot of factors that come into play, so your mileage may vary (Hah! Another pun!). People in larger cities like New York and London see the biggest benefit here, but in numerous cases (and cities), commuting via bike tends to actually be quicker than travelling by car or public transit. Plus, because you don't have the gas, oil, and maintenance costs associated with driving, that's money that gets to stay in your wallet.
Let's use me and my car for example. Round trip, I have a commute of about 16 miles. Assuming 25 mpg, that's $2.33 per day spent on gas, based on gas being about $3.65/gallon. (16/25=0.64. 3.65x0.64=2.33) Assuming I drive twice a week, obviously that's $4.66 a week (2.33x2). Let's multiply that times 52 (52 weeks in a year), and see what we get. $242.32 saved per year, and that's just in gas, assuming I ride my bike to work twice a week. Starting to sound more appealing yet?
Obviously, there are a plethora of reasons why you should ride your bike. Frankly, I could probably triple the length of this post, and still not touch on all of them. But don't just take my word for it. Try it. Go out, and ride your bike. You won't regret it. Your wallet, your mind, your heart, legs, and many others will thank you. And hey, you may make a few new friends out there, too. So, as it was so elegantly put in the beginning of my post.....
Till the next one, gang! Keep the rubber side down, and your skin off the ground!
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