The United Kingdom, it is fair to say, has an obesity crisis on its hands. In fact, physical inactivity in Britain accounts for 1 in 10 premature deaths, so encouraging more people to start exercising is something that has never been so important. In our opinion, one of the best types of exercise that you can partake in is cycling. Below we will speak about some of the benefits of cycling.
Improves Your mental and Physical Health
The main reason why you should cycle is that it can dramatically improve your mental and physical health. By cycling, you will be able to significantly decrease your risk of heart disease and obesity, which in turn will help to increase your life expectancy. It has been found that by cycling to work each day you can cut your risk of developing cancer by up to 45% and your risk of getting cardiovascular problems by up to 46%. And that’s just casual cycling. If you really get into it, you can take it up as a sport. Have you ever heard of Metro BMX?
When it comes to mental health, it has been proven that being outside helps to reduce anxiety and stress. Going out for a cycle each day can improve your mental wellbeing by up to 32%.
Now, if these are not good enough reasons to get you up on a bike, we do not know what is.
You Get to Meet New People
If you are the type of person that loves to meet new people, then you really should consider joining a cycling club or group as this is a fantastic way to meet new people and make new friends. There are more than 1,000 cycling clubs across the United Kingdom, so you should have no difficulty finding one that suits your abilities and needs.
It Can Save You a lot of Money
Bicycles are a lot cheaper to buy than cars and, to add to that, if something goes wrong with your bike you will not have a hefty bill to pay in order to get it fixed. Furthermore, you do not need to pay for fuel or pay to make use of public transport. You can save yourself thousands of pounds each year by investing in a bike to get to and from work.
You Can Travel about Faster
If you live in a busy city such as London and you use a car or a bus to get to work, then you will find yourself wasting hours and hours of your life each week sitting in gridlocked traffic. If you invest in a bike and start cycling, then you will be able to weave in and out of the traffic and get to your destination a lot quicker. Furthermore, when you get to your destination, you do not have to spend more time trying to find a place to park. You can lock your bike to the closest lamppost or railing and get on with what you have to do.