With this second wave of pandemic, when most of the gyms are closed in our country, people are looking towards other methods for staying healthy and fit. In these summer holidays, as you have enough time, cycling is a good option and very popular in keeping you physically and mentally healthy.

Physical health

Cycling is good for your heart. It accelerates the pumping of the heart and makes the muscles in working mode. 30 minutes of daily cycling will help you in reducing the risk of chronic heart diseases and diabetes. It also reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases like hypertension and stroke. Other than these medical conditions, cycling also improves balance and coordination thereby preventing falls and fractures. Cycling is a great alternative to running because it is a kind of training with low impact. If anyone is having problems with weight bearing exercises, cycling in the form of exercise is a great alternative for them.

Mental health

Physical activity has a great positive impact on our mental health. So if you are physically active, your mental level is going to be strong. It reduces stress, improves sleeping patterns, and lifts up the mood. And cycling amidst nature, outside the city is going to be more fruitful than doing normal cycling.

Benefits – Reduces risk of chronic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, improves balance, improves sleeping pattern, decreases stress, helps in controlling weight, low impact training, builds your muscles, reduces anxiety and increases productivity.

Cycling is a good choice for losing weight. It does affect our basal metabolic rate (BMR) and muscle mass. Pedaling up and down will help in building muscles. To lose weight, one needs to burn calories by running or cycling. It is a kind of low intensity workout but it burns your belly fat faster than any other high intensity workouts. You can start with a 30 minutes ride in the initial days and gradually increase the distance. Try to increase rides by about 15 minutes per week in the initial couple of weeks. Don’t forget to carry water and some snacks to provide hydration to your body in case of long rides.

Cyclotourism – This means taking cycling trips for adventure, sporting and exercise. This can be a single day to a multi day’s trip. Cyclotourism has many advantages. It is good for the heart. You can get vitamin D and breathe fresh air. Pedaling all day helps in performing muscle activity. With so much physical hard work, one can strengthen their mental piece of mind, forgetting all the hassles of life and relaxing fully. Cyclotourism costs almost nothing, no fuel, no parking. All you need is a good bicycle and maintenance equipment. This tourism helps to reconnect with nature, a green environment full of oxygen abundance. 

You have to be fully prepared before starting your trip. Continuous cycling can result in fatigue, thus it becomes necessary to take small breaks regularly. Carry some nuts, proteins as a source of carbohydrate. Be prepared with extra requirements to face bad weather too. Carry an emergency repair kit for any mechanical inconvenience.

There are many cycling events being carried out in India like

Desert 500 

Deccan Cliffhanger

Tour of Nilgiris

Tour of Tamilnadu

MTB Himalaya

So stretch yourself and go cycling with families, friends to enjoy beautiful places. Go where you want to, take your time and freely enjoy the ride.