What half an hour of cycling a day does for you
As a teenager, I used to cycle twenty kilometers a day. On my Gazelle Free (which was the Gucci of bikes back then), I pedaled the bike path towards Middelharnis and back home. I believe I even did 9 kilometers in 17 minutes once. But that was because I had stayed way too long with my then-boyfriend and had to rush home to eat. So cycling, it's in our nature. I just forgot to keep doing it after high school. Until now. I've been cycling for half an hour a day for a month again, sometimes hard and other times at my own pace.
I know, I know: I've been preaching for a year that you should walk and now I'm suddenly talking about cycling. That little detour is firmly part of my daily routine, just ask Erik Scherder, and so it was time to expand my physical activities.
1. Good for the environment
If you take the bike instead of public transport or the car, you're not only doing good for your body but also for the environment. Two in one. So always check if you can do that trip to work or to a friend by bike.
2. Low chance of injuries
After my hernia I was instructed by my manual therapist to start cycling. Just pedal hard for half an hour a day to start moving again. With cycling, you run little risk of injuries because you don't put too much strain on your joints. The nice thing about cycling is that if your body protests a bit, you can also take it down a notch. Just a bit more mañana.
3. It's good for your fitness
With cycling, you build fitness almost without noticing it. I log my rides on Strava, and after a few weeks, you suddenly see that you're doing thirteen kilometers in half an hour, while you started with nine kilometers.
4. Cycling is the alternative if you hate exercising
Or if you can't (or don't want to) exercise too hard. After more than two years of hernia, I still can't box or do a boot camp, because the impacts are too intense or I go beyond the limits of my back. With cycling, you don't have to deal with that kind of nonsense. Which is also excellent if you absolutely hate exercising. Just hop on the bike, put on some music, a podcast, or Clubhouse, and you're on your way. You don't need anything complicated for it.
5. Things clog up less quickly
In the category of additional benefits that you don't immediately see on the outside: your veins clog up less easily. Sounds nice, right?.
6. You see more
I alternate between my spinning bike at home (I bought the last one available during this corona crisis) and cycling outside, but when I'm outside, I see something different. Although I must say that the spinning bike at home is nice if you plan to make it a workout and work up a sweat.
7. With half an hour of cycling a day, you kickstart fat burning
It's simple: when you get moving, you burn calories and fat. If you Google a bit, you'll find all sorts of formulas and calculators to see how much you burn. That depends on your average speed while cycling and your weight. That's why it's different for everyone, but the fact is that with half an hour a day, you get things going.
8. Cycling helps your immunity
And if you need something in this time, it's that. Just saying.
9. Finally: it's all in your head
Just like walking, cycling has a positive effect on your mind. Being mentally healthy is just as important as being physically healthy, and with cycling, you get both.
