Cycling To Maintain Mental Health
Mental health has been getting more and more attention lately, and with good reason. The normal worries of work, family, and money have been exacerbated by the weight of a pandemic, the economic fallout, and new worries of sending students back to class. There’s no better time than now to go for a bike ride.
A friend once said that it’s when you’re too busy, too tired, and too stressed that it’s most important to go for a bike ride. That may very well be the case right now. For millions of Americans, the past few months have taken a marked toll on mental wellness. That has come at a time when many medical experts have already been working to emphasize the importance of mental health. Luckily, cycling is one of the best ways to combine physical wellness and ease your mind as well.
Anecdotally, we all know we ‘feel’ better after a ride. One very simple element to this is the feeling of accomplishment; we’ve set a goal, and we’ve done it, even if that goal was to ride to work instead of driving, or just to get in thirty minutes of easy spinning. But there’s more to that ‘cycling high’ than just crossing something off your list.
One of the most comprehensive studies on sports’ impact on mental wellness found that nearly 24% of adults saw a reduction in what were termed as ‘bad mental health days’ when prescribed two specific days of cycling per week. Only team sports performed better, which experts attributed to the additional benefit of social interaction and connectivity. Cycling finished ahead of gym exercise (like weight lifting) and even running.
Cycling can also help reduce the risk of neuromuscular diseases like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Riding your bike can help boost levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that helps support brain function as we age. It’s also proven to help regulate blood sugar and has been a long-time tool for diabetics.
One of the most universal, and important, elements of cycling is the impact on our happiness. Study after study has proven that cycling can battle anxiety and depression. One study found that just fifteen minutes of pedaling on a stationary bike can drastically reduce levels of cortisol, the chemical associated with stress. That study focused on depression patients taking anti-depressants; just imagine how impactful cycling can be for more chemically-balanced brains.
A further benefit of commuting by bicycle is time. The additional couple of minutes to pedal, relax, breathe deeply, and create a buffer between work and home is an element of bicycling that deserves much more study. The effects can also do a lot for your body, too, adding hours of physical activity over the course of weeks and months that can have long-term benefits.
Taking the time to ride can be almost a form of meditation. How do you like to unwind; a sharp, hard interval ride or a more leisurely roll to think and absorb the peaceful nature of a bike ride out of doors?