Warm sunshine, a soft breeze and the freshness of nature are reasons enough to enjoy an outdoor bike ride, but did you know the benefits of biking outside go far beyond the beauty of the activity? Biking causes fewer injuries and strains than most workouts, improves cardiovascular health, builds stronger muscles, reduces body fat, and improves coordination and general mobility — it is one of the healthiest and most low-impact forms of exercise you can do! No matter what level you are at, or who you would like to participate with, biking is a great option, and it is something you can enjoy all throughout your life.
There are five main benefits of outdoor biking:
1. Exercise
Cycling, whether indoors or outdoors, is an excellent, low-impact fitness option that promotes fat loss, improves heart health, boosts muscle endurance and provides a rigorous workout for your legs. A few more of the many physical benefits are listed below:
- It is better for your joints than many other types of workouts because there is no repeated pounding on your joints
- It strengthens the muscles that support the knees, ankles and feet
- It works out multiple muscle groups, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, glutes and core muscles
- Pedaling against resistance from hills helps muscles grow and become more resilient
- Riding over varied terrain strengthens and stabilizes the muscles throughout the body
- Riding a mountain bike on hills and mountain trails gives you a great full-body workout
- Going uphill works your leg muscles, while going downhill engages your arm, shoulder, chest, back and abdomen muscles
- Cycling is great for your heart, whether you are indoors or out
- Outdoor cycling offers the extra benefit of fresh air and beautiful scenery, which can further improve cardiovascular health
- Exercising in nature has been shown to lower blood pressure, decrease cholesterol and enhance overall heart function
2. Mental Health
Biking stimulates the release of endorphins, serotonin and dopamine, which can help elevate your mood and make you feel more relaxed. Biking can also help your body manage its levels of cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Sunlight helps keep your serotonin levels up, and this in turn raises your energy levels. The calming and meditative nature of cycling can also help individuals develop mindfulness and build mental resilience.
3, Social Interaction
Spending time with loved ones or friends can lighten your mood and make you feel more positive and lower your risk for dementia, due to the increased brain activity and intellectual engagement. Spending time with others can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression, and can boost self-esteem and self-confidence. Sharing difficult situations with others can make them seem less stressful and more bearable. Physically, social interaction can help lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems and promote a longer lifespan. Biking with friends, family or in a charity/group bike ride can help build and strengthen relationships and create a sense of community.
4. Nature
Outdoor cycling offers the extra benefit of fresh air and beautiful scenery, which can further improve cardiovascular health. Exercising in nature has been shown to lower blood pressure, decrease cholesterol, and enhance overall heart function. Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it contributes to your physical wellbeing by reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and the production of stress hormones. Nature also helps us cope with pain. Because we are genetically programmed to find trees, plants, water and other nature elements engrossing, we are more easily distracted from our pain and discomfort while outside.
5. Environmentally Friendly
Reduce your carbon footprint by riding your bike whenever possible. Recent research from the University of Oxford found that commuting by bike instead of by car once a day decreases your transportation carbon footprint by 67%. Cycling is a great replacement for transportation options that involve sitting in traffic for extended periods. It’s especially useful when you’re going places that are a bit too far to walk, but you don’t want to take a car. A bonus is not having to fight for a parking space in crowded areas. Biking is the greener alternative!
Biking outdoors is a healthy, fun and low-impact form of exercise for all ages. Meet a friend or take your family on a neighborhood trail, and go for a summer bike ride. Use this link to find a trail that works for you, and discover the benefits of outdoor biking!
by Caitlin Kemmerer
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