8 reasons to go cycling
Cycling is one of the best ways to improve your health and maintain optimal fitness. We will talk about its positive effect on the organs and systems of the human body in this article.
Source: depositphotos.com
Heart muscle workout
Cycling provides long-term moderate-intensity exercise for the whole body, in particular for the heart muscle and blood vessels. This increases the tone of the myocardium and the elasticity of the vascular walls. With regular exercise, the heart adapts to constant work in a slightly increased mode, gets used to using reserve capabilities, increasing them. Cycling helps to reduce cardiac output and improve circulation.
Outdoor trips help cleanse the body of excess cholesterol. The composition of the blood becomes better, the risk of developing strokes and heart attacks decreases. Monotonous leg work tones the venous wall and optimizes blood flow in the lower extremities, preventing varicose veins.
Stabilization of the nervous system
Cycling requires a lot of concentration. During the trip, the blood supply to all organs is activated, including the brain. Fast movement brings joy, causes the release of endorphins into the blood. Cycling regularly can help alleviate the effects of stress and overcome insomnia. Memory, coordination of movements and work of the vestibular apparatus improve.
Benefits for the lungs
Cycling training leads to an increase in the minute volume of breathing and improved ventilation of the lung tissue. Cyclists almost never have bronchial congestion and associated chronic respiratory diseases. Engaging in this sport contributes to the saturation of the blood with oxygen, which has a beneficial effect on the general tone. Of course, we are talking about trips in really fresh air - in a forest or a park (a bicycle ride along the central streets of a metropolis in this sense is more harmful than useful).
Strengthening the musculoskeletal system
Cycling does not lead to an increase in muscle mass, but strongly affects the condition of the ligamentous apparatus. With regular driving, muscle resistance to tension increases. This primarily applies to the muscles of the legs, buttocks, back and abdomen. Moreover, the spine is not subjected to "shock" loads that occur when running, cycling does not increase the risk of developing radicular compression syndromes, radiculitis, osteochondrosis and other diseases of this kind.
Metabolism activation
When riding a bicycle, a person spends a fair amount of energy (for an hour of training - about 300-500 kcal.). Physical activity in combination with increased oxygen supply activates metabolism and promotes the consumption of body fat reserves. That is why such training is considered one of the best ways to lose weight. To lose weight through cycling, you need to ride daily, gradually increasing the duration of the trip from 20-30 minutes to 1.5 hours.
In addition, regular cycling strengthens the body's defenses and reduces susceptibility to colds and seasonal infections.
Source: depositphotos.com
Improving vision
A bike ride is the best way to relax after office work and a good option for your eyes. It is necessary to constantly look from closely spaced objects to distant ones, which trains the muscles that control the movement of the eyeballs and lenses. This is especially true for people who have to work at a computer for a long time.
Normalization of the state of the reproductive organs
The reproductive benefits of cycling are due to increased blood supply to the pelvic organs and strengthening of the muscles of the perineum. For men, this reduces the risk of developing prostate adenoma and prostatitis. For women, moderate cycling can help reduce sore periods and ease pregnancy and childbirth.
Benefits for appearance
Cycling is good for your figure. Regular training helps to tighten the most problematic areas - stomach, thighs, buttocks. In addition, activation of blood supply is very beneficial for the skin: it increases its tone and resistance to aggressive environmental factors.
Cycling has relatively few contraindications. This sport should not be practiced by people with pathologies of the vestibular apparatus, some types of scoliosis and intervertebral hernias. Cycling is not recommended for women on critical days, as well as for pregnant women - because of the risk of falling or excessive fetal shock.
YouTube video related to the article:
Maria Kulkes Medical journalist About the author
Education: First Moscow State Medical University named after I. M. Sechenov, specialty "General Medicine".
Found a mistake in the text? Select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
