Do you want to lose weight or just stay physically fit? Cycling is the best option for anyone who doesn’t like jogging. Cycling is not only fun, it also has a positive effect on our health. We explain what 4 things happen when you ride a bike every day.
A combination of cardio and muscle training is the best way to stay physically fit and healthy. However, many people dread jogging in the fresh air – but running is not the only way to do endurance sports. A joint-gentle alternative to jogging is cycling. The sport is suitable for all ages and can be practiced every day without much effort, for example on the way to work as an alternative to the car. We have a few reasons for you to cycle to work every day.
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These 4 things happen when you ride a bike every day
1. You lose weight
Good news for anyone trying to lose weight, because you don’t need to go to the gym to lose weight. Anyone who rides a bike every day burns between 200 and 600 calories per hour, depending on the speed. Aside from training your legs and glutes, riding a bike also engages the muscles in your arms and abdomen. Another advantage of cycling: Due to the even load and the fact that most of the body weight is borne by the saddle, the sport is also well suited for overweight people and is easy on the joints.
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2. You sleep better
Since important regeneration processes take place in the body during sleep , good sleep quality is essential for a healthy body. Unfortunately, a large proportion of people still sleep badly, too little or both – which can have dangerous consequences for the body and even increase the risk of various diseases. Anyone who rides a bike or does another sport every day can sleep much better in the evening. By burning calories and exercising while cycling, we find it easier to fall asleep. On top of that, cycling reduces stress and reduces the level of the stress hormone cortisol, which negatively affects our sleep quality.
3. They prevent cardiovascular diseases
Probably the best reason to cycle every day? The risk of various diseases is reduced. Because the regular sports unit stimulates our blood circulation, trains the blood vessels, strengthens our heart and can regulate blood pressure. In this way, cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks or strokes are prevented – in a Danish study , researchers found, for example, that regular cycling can reduce the risk of a heart attack by around 11 percent. On top of that, cycling reduces obesity, which is not only considered a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, but also for type 2 diabetes.
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4. Your immune system is strengthened
Likewise, the body’s own defenses are strengthened through regular endurance sports such as cycling. This promotes a healthy cardiovascular system, healthy lungs, good sleep quality and a healthy psyche – factors that are important for our immune system and can thus prevent infections and the like. For example, one study found that adult cyclists had more T cells than non-active people. T cells play an important role in our immune system and fighting off infections.