Set the wheels in motion for a healthier you

Exercising more is probably one of the most common resolutions we make to ourselves at the start of a new year – but how many of those resolutions become empty promises?

It can be a challenge to find the time to keep fit and daunting to make that first leap, not to mention difficult to keep to the vow we’ve made beyond that first few months. 

Yet, there are benefits to exercise that go beyond the initial weight-loss goals we may have in our sights. Of course, there’s improved fitness and stamina when it comes to physical health, not to mention the mental health boost that comes from getting moving. Cycling can be a fantastic way to enjoy all of these benefits, offering the chance to get out and about in the fresh air wherever you may be, whatever your age and ability. 

Solo or with a group, saddling up for a ride can do wonders for your wellbeing – but there are even more fascinating plus points to pedal power. 

Scientists believe that improving fitness with aerobic exercise can actually make the brain grow – and they used a bike to prove it. In a study led by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, those participants with the best cardio respiratory fitness were also found to have the biggest brains. 

The study involved 2,013 adults from north eastern Germany, who were examined between 1997 and 2012, with their fitness and MRI brain data measured while they used an exercise bike. 
Researchers discovered that increases in peak oxygen uptake were strongly associated with increased grey matter volume, suggesting that cardiorespiratory exercise may contribute to improved brain health and slow down a decline in the grey matter that makes up the brain. The more exercise you do, the better your brain will perform in other environments.

There’s more too. Cycling charity Sustrans believes more cycling could prevent 34,000 life-threatening illnesses in seven major UK cities by 2040. In a report based on data from Bike Life, the largest assessment of cycling in UK cities, the charity looked at the impact of doubling cycling trips every eight years between 2017 and 2040, an aim of the government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.

The report estimates that more than one billion cycling trips would take place in 2040 in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Greater Manchester and Newcastle – an eight-fold increase from 123 million trips, which would equate to more than 242.2 million hours of additional physical activity. 

As well as preventing incidences of Type 2 diabetes, stroke, breast cancer and depression, it is believed the increased activity will prevent 628 early deaths and generate £21bn of savings to the economy – £319m of which would be for the NHS. 
Insync ambassador and BMX racer and track cyclist Shanaze Reade agrees the countless health benefits to cycling should not be underestimated. 

"I really believe exercise in general is such a positive boost for both mental and physical health," she says. "Talking from personal experiences, I have battled with mental health issues, especially when I retired. 

"I picked the bike back up and started to ride just for fun, with no goal no measuring equipment but just to simply go outdoors, feel the wind in my hair and have the true sense of freedom and fresh air. 

"Within weeks I started to feel so much better both physically and mentally. We are not all destined to be the next Olympic champion, but we can all help ourselves with general exercise What other discipline can you do that’s free and also a great mode of transport and on top of that is so social for you and all the family? It’s the sport we all enjoyed as children, and it’s never been easier to get back into cycling thanks to Insync. The benefits are clear – it’s time to set the wheels in motion for a healthier you in 2020."

 

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