There are many good reasons to cycle more or even every day. We have researched how daily cycling can affect your body, mind, environment, and finances, and show you the best things to look out for before you get started. If you start right away, you can bet it will have a positive impact on you.
Cycling is booming. Especially in larger cities, more and more people are using their bikes to get around. In Düsseldorf, for example, weekday cycle traffic in the city centre has doubled since 1999. The coronavirus pandemic has further intensified this trend. Berlin recorded an increase of 17 per cent in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period last year. There are many reasons for this, not least the desire to do something for health and the environment. But what exactly happens when you switch from car to bike and cycle every day?
What happens to your body when you cycle every day?
The positive effects of cycling on our bodies are not only shown in numerous studies, but you can also feel them yourself as soon as you get on your bike: Exercising in the fresh air is good for you, you get your cardiovascular system going and increase blood flow to your muscles and brain. And the best thing is that you don’t have to cycle for long to do your body so much good.
1. Cycling increases your fitness and your life expectancy
According to a Swedish study, people who cycle 30 minutes a day have a longer life expectancy than those who don’t: the cardiovascular system and muscles are strengthened, blood pressure drops, and physical fitness increases. Why is that? Our body is designed to maximise efficiency. This means that it adapts as well as possible to the demands placed on it. So if you have previously travelled by car or public transport and now cycle these routes, your body adapts to the new circumstances so that it can cope with them more easily in the future.
Small disclaimer: This also means that your physical fitness will decrease again if you stop cycling every day.
2. Cycling every day helps you lose weight
Cycling just a few kilometres a day can help you lose weight. This is because you burn more calories compared to travelling by car or public transport, but also by walking, making it easier to reach a calorie deficit at the end of the day, and you need that to lose weight. You can burn up to 250 kilocalories with 30 minutes of cycling at a moderate pace, depending on your body weight.
A French study in 2018 suggested a positive effect of cycling on reducing obesity: the test subjects lost weight, reduced their hip circumference, and their body fat percentage.
3. Cycling helps you prevent diabetes
Cycling can also help to prevent diabetes, according to a study from Denmark. According to the study, just one hour a week can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 28 per cent. And even those who are already diabetic can regulate their blood sugar levels better with regular, relaxed cycling.
The reasons why daily cycling is good for your body could go on and on, but so that you don’t have to sit down for too long to read this text, let’s move on to why cycling is also good for your head.
