Mountain biking is both a thrilling sport and a method of exploring nature. It has the potential to be great exercise, keeping your muscles healthy and strong, but it also has a number of other intriguing benefits to your well being and overall safety. You can look through the below sections to get an idea of just how good for your health it really is, and to study the many benefits of bike riding.
Decreased Risk of Disease
Although you will most likely go over a few bumps and receive a few bruises along the way, biking does more help than harm. According to health professionals, just three hours of bike riding each week can greatly reduce the risk of encountering heart disease or a stroke. Additionally, it has been found to decrease the percentage you have of contracting various forms of cancer. Above that, teenagers who ride bikes often are quite a bit less likely to become overweight during their adulthood.
Proven studies show that for adults, the rigorous activity involved in bike riding guaranteed to keep their hearts healthy, reducing the possible risk of heart disease and other conditions by more than 30%. A study of 10,000 people showed that those of them who biked a total of 20 miles over a one week period were half as likely to be diagnosed with heart disease than the ones that did not. (Source: medicalnewstoday.com)
Easy on your Joints
Bike riding has been an ideal alternative for adults who could be suffering from possible knee injuries. These injuries are usually caused due to years of rigorous high impact sports, such as running and jogging activities. Mountain bike riding provides individuals of all ages with fairly similar cardiovascular benefits such as those received through both running and jogging exercises. The main difference is that bike riding does not include the impact on your joints, therefore preventing the possible injuries to your knees and other joints. This is easily one of the greatest benefits of bike riding.
Overall Better Moods
In addition to the plethora of physical benefits that come with riding a bike often, it is also very beneficial to the participant’s emotional state. According to a proven study in 2007, outdoor activities such as bike riding not only decrease stress by substantial amounts, but also raise the self-esteem of the rider, and provide individuals with a great sense of adventure and challenge. Bike riding has proven to help reduce the negative health effects of stress. (Source: active.com)
Careful investigations have proven that exercise helps to lessen the effects of depression by releasing endorphins into the participant’s body. The physical activity that mountain bike riding provides also decreases the number of chemicals in the immune that can advance the severity of depression.
Just about any exercise, in general, can help to decrease anxiety and improve the mood of the participant. Bike riding also acts as a temporary distraction that helps bikers to take their minds off of any worries they may currently have. This helps to dissipate the cycle of negative thoughts which contribute to anxiety and depression alike.
Bike riding also has the potential to give a boost your self-confidence. It does not matter whether you just mastered a technical descent, rode through dangerous terrain, or even just rode over a log. Completing the biking challenges that you set for yourself can provide you with a huge boost in self-confidence, which may possibly improve your stamina, coordination, and it will help you feel better about yourself.
Helps you Meet New People
All bike riding benefits do not directly relate to the release of endorphins and other physical health improvements, some just have the potential to make you feel better, which is still very helpful. In this sport, you will most likely have plenty of unique opportunities to interact with other people who share your interest in mountain bike riding. There are cycling clubs, mountain bike races, and more. Any pleasant social interactions have the potential to greatly improve your mood, and they can provide you with the chance to find new friends, or, at least, some riding buddies. That is not all there is to know, though, riding with others does not stop at just being more enjoyable, it can also be much safer overall with people to look out for you.
Healthy Muscle Building
It is a very common misconception that your leg muscles are the only ones that actually benefit from riding a bike. In reality, there is a lot more going on during a bicycle ride, and a number of muscles greatly benefit from the exercise. The biceps are usually not associated with the riding of a bike, but they are very important for steering and stability while riding, giving them, at least, a small amount of exercise. Another muscle that is used a lot while biking is the abdominal muscles, where they help serve as pressure regulators while performing demanding uphill exercises. Another important muscle is the semitendinosus in the back of your thighs. It is one of the most important muscles required for bending your knees, and it benefits from a great deal of activity while you are pedaling.
Final Verdict
As you have seen in the list of health benefits above, bike riding can be very beneficial to your overall health, the quality of your mood, and it can decrease the risk of heart disease, all while providing a tremendous workout. If you are someone who is thinking about getting into mountain biking, you may want to check out a buying guide that can help you find the best bike for you!