Are you tired of working out at the gym all day long? Looking for more fun activities to stay healthy? If you answered ‘yes’ to both of these questions, try cycling. Cycling is an exciting sports activity that provides a plethora of health benefits, especially to women.
The health benefits brought by cycling should be enough reason for you to invest in a bike and several women’s cycling jerseys. The money you’ll spend in buying these items will surely be worth it as cycling is a healthy activity that can significantly improve your overall health.
To drive the point home, here are seven health benefits of cycling for women:
- Reduces Risks Of Arthritis And Obesity
Women are naturally prone to develop arthritis because of genetic disposition, hormones, and biology. Moreover, women diagnosed with arthritis also experience worse pain—severe aching in different joints—than men.
Cycling regularly is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of arthritis among women. This works because cycling may help women reduce weight as this activity can burn around 300 calories per hour. Obesity can raise the risk of getting arthritis among women as excessive weight can put a lot of pressure and stress on weight-bearing joints.
Cycling is also gentle on the joints and doesn’t cause stress or strain on the joints. Cycling regularly is also a great way to preserve cartilage. When the cartilage is healthy, you can easily complete bending and straightening motions.
- Alleviates Symptoms Of Several Female Conditions
Being a woman is challenging as your body is prone to experience several health conditions. As a woman, you’ll experience the physical and psychological symptoms of going through pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and monthly periods in your lifetime.
While you can’t prevent your body from experiencing these common female conditions, you can incorporate cycling into your daily routine to minimize the symptoms. For example, cycling encourages the production of prostaglandins, a chemical that can effectively reduce the pain and discomfort caused by menstrual cramps.
- Good For The Heart
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the world. In 2017 alone, 299,578 women died because of heart disease. An estimated 16.3 million women in the US aged 20 and older are also living with coronary heart disease, the most common type of heart disease in the world.
Cycling regularly may help strengthen your heart. This activity strengthens your heart muscles, reduces fat blood levels, and lowers resting pulse. As long as you cycle at least twenty minutes every day, you can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease.
- Protects You Against Breast Cancer
Almost 44,000 women die from breast cancer every year. For breast cancer survivors, they’ll likely suffer from the long-term effects of the disease, such as heart problems, bone loss and osteoporosis, and musculoskeletal problems.
If you want to protect yourself from breast cancer, incorporate cycling into your daily routine as soon as possible. Cycling may lower blood estrogen levels, which can eventually lower your risk of breast cancer. Cycling may also boost your immune system, making it easier for your body to kill or slow down the growth of cancer cells.
- Gives You Vitamin D
As mentioned, women are naturally at risk of developing osteoporosis. When left untreated, osteoporosis can cause fractures, especially in the spine and hips. These health conditions can cause severe pain and discomfort and even require surgery.
Cycling outdoors gives you plenty of vitamin D, as you can naturally get this vitamin by spending more time under the sun. Vitamin D plays a significant role in the absorption of calcium in the body and significantly improves bone health. By having sufficient levels of vitamin D in the body, you can have healthier bones and teeth.
Aside from these, vitamin D can also support immune and nervous system health and ward off depression. Vitamin D also supports healthy pregnancy and reduces your risks of flu.
- Helps You Sleep Better
Women are also at higher risk of suffering from insomnia and other sleeping disorders than men because of their changing hormones. This is especially true for women during their menstrual cycle, menopause, or pregnancy.
If you want to sleep better and longer, bike as often as possible. Cycling may help you sleep better because it keeps your back muscles and joints stronger, making it easier for you to fall asleep. Cycling may also alleviate symptoms of sleep-related problems and help you get an adequate amount of sleep.
- Improves Mental Health And Wellbeing
Statistics illustrate that women are more likely to experience common mental health problems than men and are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety. This shows how women are prone to develop common mental health problems throughout their lifetime.
Cycling may also help improve your mental health and wellbeing. When you cycle regularly, you’re giving yourself the chance to expand your horizon, breathe fresh air, and feel the wind in your hair. Cycling may also encourage you to practice ‘mindfulness’ as you’ll have the opportunity to bask in breathtaking views outdoors rather than spending an entire day in front of a screen.
If you’re often insecure about yourself, cycling may also help. Cycling gives you a sense of self-worth and pride because you’ll feel accomplished whenever you reach a new destination. This is especially true if you regularly bike for long periods to achieve further destinations.
Cycling is also an excellent way to enjoy some me time and reduce stress. This happens because cycling encourages your body to produce endorphins, the hormones that provide a natural high and improve your mood.
Start Slow
If this is your first time riding a bike, make sure that you start slow. Set achievable, short-term goals and gradually adjust the duration of your trails as you go along. This will give your body sufficient time to gradually adjust to the activity and minimize your risk of injuries.
It’s also important to pay attention to what your body says. If you feel exhausted, take a break. Don’t push yourself to the limits. Remember, cycling should be a fun activity, so don’t pressure yourself into doing things your body isn’t accustomed to doing.