Why should
I cycle?
Cycling has many important benefits to yourself, others and the environment. People cycle for a variety of reason and the main are listed below.
Sport
Many people enjoy cycling as a competitive sport. Chris Hoy started cycling at the age of 7 and is now a track cycling world champion as well as the team sprint commonwealth champion. Chris Hoy is the prime example of a cycling sportsman to find out his advice please click here
Health*
According to the British Medical Association's report, 'cycling: Towards Health and Safety'.
Cycling regularly will improve your fitness and can help you live a long and healthy life.
Riding a bike can help you maintain a healthy weight.
Three quarters of all personal journeys are less than 5 miles long - that's half an hour on a bike.
Switching these short journeys from car to bicycle will benefit your health and your community. You'll be helping to reduce noise and air pollution as well as traffic congestion.
Increasing Fitness
Your strength, stamina, aerobic fitness and general muscle function will all be improved. Cycling is a low impact activity and one of the safest ways to exercise without risk of over-exertion or strain to muscles and joints. Regular physical activity also facilitates other healthy behaviour and could help you reduce weight or even give up smoking.
Lowering Risk of Heart Attack
Your heart muscles are strengthened, resting pulse is lowered and blood fat levels reduced. People taking regular physical activity suffer far less heart disease than people who don't.
Shedding Excess Weight
By burning body fat and raising your metabolic rate you can lose weight. If you undertake physical activity regularly you can enjoy a more varied diet without increasing body weight. Cycling is one of the more comfortable forms of physical activity for those who are new to exercise, allowing most people to get fit easily and safely without undue physical strain.
*CTC the U.K’s national cyclists organisation (www.ctc.org.uk)
CommutingBy cycling to work, school or even the shops you are not only keeping fit but helping the environment. Cycling reduces pollution, noise and congestion. Most people that cycle to work also say they actually get there quicker than in the car. Now isn’t it worth a few minutes longer in bed? It’s also more convenient as can go door to door without searching for parking spaces or walking from the bus stop.
Cycling is also cheaper than driving as the only power it needs is your bodies. (so make sure you are fuelled up before you leave).
Leisure
Cycling is ideal for families, what better to spend a Sunday afternoon than cycling in the country and stopping off for a picnic.
Cycling is also relaxing and as with all physical activity is good at reducing anxiety, stress and depression. Cycling alone also gives you a good time to think. You never know you might come up with something ground breaking!
“I thought of that while riding my bike."
Albert Einstein,
on the theory of relativity
