5 Benefits of Biking That You Should Not Ignore

In Guelph, Canadians celebrated the seventh Love Your Bike Community Festival. This is an annual festival, participated by young and old enthusiasts alike, highlights Guelph’s favorite form of transportation – cycling!

In 2014, 41% of the Canadian population reported that they had cycled in the last 12 months. Even if this is a significant number, the percentage of the cycling population actually decreased as compared to 10 years ago. The global pandemic showed the need for biking again, especially as a means to travel during the times when public transport lockdowns are imposed. And events like the annual festival in Guelph promote cycling and safe space for riders to encourage others to bike as a mode of transportation.

Organizers of the Love Your Bike Community Festival say that they are celebrating cycling because of its positive impacts on the environment, nature, physical health, and mental health. It’s something that can be shared and the whole community loves – and with good reasons!

Here are five benefits of biking that should make you want to cycle your way today:

1. This activity is a non-invasive and natural way to lose weight.

If you eat a lot and do not move much, this is a sure way for anyone to gain weight – and fast. As fitness gurus say, the calories burn must exceed the calories you take in if you want to lose weight. If you need a natural way to burn those stored body energy, try cycling. Depending on the intensity of biking and the rider weight, this activity can let you burn 400 to 1000 calories per hour. Ride along with friends, family, loved ones, or members of your local biking community.

2. Regular bike riding improves sex.

Sex can be considered as physical activity too and it contributes to your overall physical and mental wellbeing. Other people even claim that it can lengthen your life. Health experts say that a man who has 350 orgasms annually can live four years longer than a man who doesn’t. The same applies to women.

So how can cycling give you better sex life? The good news is, all the muscles that work when you ride a bike are the same ones that you use during sex. The more you exercise these muscles, the more you develop them, and the more stamina and vigor you will have during coitus. Plus, when you finally get to tone your muscles during regular biking activities, you will look better and feel best. Bringing that confidence in bed will usually make all the difference. 

3. Cycling boosts mental wellbeing.

People who exercise regularly and adopt an active lifestyle obtained a wellbeing score of that is 32% above sedentary individuals. Cycling as a form of exercise can lift your mood. Riding a bike induces the body to release endorphins and adrenalin. Completing a route is also similar to how you feel when you achieve a goal and this can boost your self-confidence. Cycling can also be a relaxing activity because it combines exercise and exploration. Going to new places can expose you to different scenic views or new communities. The natural sceneries can give you time to unwind while the community exploration can expand your social circle. 

4. Riding a bike is good for the environment.

Unlike a car, a bike does not produce emissions that are harmful to people and the environment. It is a faster and nature-friendly way to get from one place to another. If the majority of people in towns or cities would opt for biking as their main mode of transportation, we can significantly cut back carbon emissions. When it comes to space efficiency, bicycles are by far more superior than cars. Parking space for one car can fit about twenty bicycles. When it comes to manufacturing, only 5% of the energy and materials used to create a car can produce a bike. If you want to care for the environment as much as you care for your health, biking is the way to go.

5. Biking promotes better health.

A bike ride a day keeps the doctor away. Doctors and health experts agree that moderate exercise stimulates the immune system to function properly and fight incoming infections better. According to US research, people who ride their bikes for at about 30 minutes five days tend to avoid getting sick by 50% of the time compared to their more sedentary counterparts.

Cycling as an exercise also makes you live longer. A study in the United Kingdom involving identical twins found that the twin who had three 45-minute bicycle rides a week became conspicuously younger in looks and physique and had improved body functions. As health experts recognize, those who engage in regular physical activities usually have a lower possibility of having heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and cancer.

Of course, even if you follow a healthy lifestyle and engage in regular physical activities, there are times when you feel a bit under the weather. If you do get sick but if you are not able to personally visit a walk in clinic Guelph, you can find a doctor through various online clinics. Otherwise, you should start doing what the people in Guelph have been honoring for seven years now. The community in Guelph has lots of reasons to celebrate biking after all!