Summer is here, and it’s time to get outside and enjoy it! With warmer weather around the corner, there will be an increase in outdoor sport activities. This week is National Bike Week 2022 and cycling is a great way to improve your cardiovascular health as well as maintain muscle tone and improve knee and hip arthritis. It can even help with back pain.
Bike-riding can lessen the effects of ageing and strengthen the immune system. Scientists at the University of Birmingham found cyclists aged fifty-four and seventy-nine years old produced more immune cells (T-cells) than non-cyclists, especially impressive as production of these cells slows down during your twenties. Studies found that cycling also preserves muscle mass in older people, while helping to maintain healthy levels of fat and cholesterol.
Did You Know That Cycling Can Also Improve Your Quality Of Sleep?
A study has shown that a moderately intense aerobic exercise, such as bike-riding, reduces the time it takes you to nod off and increases the duration of sleep. This could be thanks to the release of anxiety-busting brain chemicals such as serotonin, and the rise and subsequent fall in body temperature that helps promote sleep. You can read more here about the relationship between back pain and poor quality of sleep.
Why It’s So Important That Cycling Gets You Out And About
As convenient as the gym can be, exercising outside is essential for your health and your quality of sleep. Natural daylight helps to set your circadian biological clock – your natural sleep-wake cycle, which controls the release of the sleepy hormone melatonin. And it’s not just great for a good night’s sleep. It’s also good for our mental health to get outside and see gardens or green spaces, and cycling can be sociable too.
So cycling can help:
- heart health
- build muscle
- back pain
- knee and hip arthritis
- sleep
- weight loss
- cholesterol levels
To make sure you get the most out of the summer and stay on top of your health, take some time to get on your bike. Regular chiropractic care is also a great way to reduce and prevent stress that can negatively affect your joints and overall health. We’re always happy to see you at Sundial.
Happy cycling!