Cycling & Health
Ridewise will give you the skills, knowledge and confidence to allow you to cycle safely and enjoyably. Knowing how and why to do something is the essence of freedom of choice. Ridewise’s cycle training allows you to use your bike when you want to.
Regular exercise is essential for a healthy life. 30 minutes a day 5 times a week of activity that gets you out of breath increases life expectancy, controls your weight, reduces chances of heart attacks and strokes and gives you the buzz back in life. By being that bit more active you do more and the quality of life improves immeasurably.
Cycling is proven to be one of the best ways of getting and staying healthy – regular cyclists live at least 2 years longer then average, have fitness levels of someone 10 years their junior, have better mental health and, are healthier in older age.
30 minutes a day is not long – for a lot of people it is the journey to work but it can include the time spent going to the shops, getting the paper, taking the kids to school, visiting friends or going out for a night. Doing those little journeys on a bike instead of driving is exercise. Cycling to and from the gym is the warm up and warm down exercise. No one is saying it is necessary to cycle everywhere all the time – it just makes sense to do it some of the time.
Cycling is not dangerous. The number of accidents involving cyclists has been dropping for years. No cyclist has died in Nottingham in 2 years. Cycling is slowly picking up and evidence shows the more people who cycle the safer it becomes. The average cyclist would have to live 20,000 years before being involved in a serious or fatal accident – hardly a risk worth worrying about.
The really dangerous and risky lifestyle is an inactive one – obesity and inactivity in adults and children is reaching epidemic levels. About half of all adults do no exercise and 1/3rd are obese – and it is getting worse. Children are getting illnesses associated with middle aged adults e.g. type 2 diabetes. Being fat and inactive is a good way of having a heart attack, stroke and developing diabetes. 45000 people die each year as a result of inactivity/obesity – these are preventable deaths. It also reduces life expectancy by 10 years i.e. not living long enough to collect the pension or being too ill to enjoy retirement. Getting out of breath climbing a flight of stairs or walking across town is sign of a serious problem. They are problems that are easy to overcome and give a lifetime of benefit.
Incorporating cycling into what you do on a daily basis solves a lot of problems associated with inactivity and obesity. Evidence shows you will notice a difference in 6 weeks.
A review of the links between cycling and health was carried out before RideWise was set up.
Below is a summary of its key findings:
|
The human body is designed for movement and one of the most time efficient and effective methods of taking exercise is to cycle for shorter daily journeys. Sedentary individuals need undertake only a modest amount of regular cycling (three times a week for half an hour) to achieve a good level of health and an adequate level of fitness. Cycling has been shown to have a beneficial impact on: General Level of Physical Fitness: exercising the major muscles enhances muscle strength through to old age, keeping limbs strong and bodies flexible. Asthma & Bronchitis: vigorous exercise increases deep breathing and a good respiratory function is essential for sound health. Diabetes: impaired glucose tolerance and other aspects of diabetes often result in the individual being overweight and inactive, and having high blood pressure and lipids. Cycling as part of a lifestyle change was shown to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes - adult onset diabetes – (source; National Cycling Strategy – Cycling & Health) by 50%. Mental Health: though still in its infancy, preliminary research indicates that regular aerobic exercise decreases depression and improves confidence and self-esteem. Endorphins released into the body from the brain while cycling are thought to be at least as beneficial as drug therapy for mild to moderate cases of depression. Cardiovascular Disease: cycling exercises the heart without putting a strain on the organ and stimulates good blood circulation. This changes the proportions of high and low density lipoproteins in the bloodstream and helps to reduce atherosclerosis and coronary thrombosis. Cycling is potentially a major non-pharmacological method of lowering blood pressure and can reduce the levels of stress which induce coronary heart disease (CHD), the single most-common cause of death. It is estimated that 36% of CHD can be attributed to lack of physical activity such as cycling (source; National Cycling Strategy – Cycling & Health. The fuel for riding is calories. Between burning calories and an increase in the body’s metabolic rate, cycling can have a significant impact on obesity. Cycling as a means of transportation is a life enhancer which could prevent illness and demand for health services. The Health Development Agency identifies the evidence of what works to improve people’s health and reduce health inequalities. For more information visit www.hda-online.org.uk. But if we're honest, the reason so many of us are passionate about cycling is only partly to do with health. We do it mostly for the sheer joy and physical pleasure of an exercise which makes us feel exhilarated, strong and alive! |
RideWise provides nationally-accredited training for adults, children and families free of charge.We offer competitive rates for corporate businesses too. Training levels are from Novice through to Advanced
RideWise is always on the lookout for experienced local riders
who would like to put something back into cycling by becoming instructors.
