It can be challenging to find a way to fit exercise into your daily routine, and it can be tough to find a fun way to exercise that is actually beneficial. This doesn’t mean that it’s not possible though!
One of the great ways you can get exercise and actually benefit from it is to cycle. Cycling has so many benefits and even if you just cycle for 30 minutes a day, you will start to see lots of qualities in your life improve.
We’ve put together a list of 9 benefits of biking for 30 minutes a day that will really encourage you to go for a cycle. So let’s have a look!
1. It Can Help You Lose Weight
You might think that biking for 30 minutes isn’t enough time to really impact anything, but you’d be surprised to know that if you cycle for 30 minutes every day consistently, you will start to lose weight.
Biking requires you to use the full strength of your legs and whether you’re going fast or slow, it will definitely impact your weight.
Cycling is known to burn between 400 and 1000 calories an hour, depending on your metabolism, weight and how hard you are cycling, so if you cycle for 30 minutes a day, that is at least 200 calories a day you will be burning.
As long as you keep a healthy diet on top, you should start to see yourself slimming down in no time at all.
2. It’s Great For Your Lung Health
You might not think that biking would make much of a difference to your lung health, but it actually does.
There have been lots of studies and research into lung health and its correlation with cyclists, and it turns out that cycling really helps a lot more than you might think.
The reason for this has a lot to do with air pollution and dangerous fumes. Cyclists are exposed to a lot fewer of these dangerous fumes than people who drive cars are and people who drive cars are actually exposed to pollution five times more than cyclists are.
The mix of fresh air and lack of car fumes is the main reason why this is the case. Even if you do drive though, just swap out your car for your bike a couple of times a week and your lungs will definitely thank you for it.
3. It Improves Your Mental Health
Pretty much all forms of exercise will improve your mental health in some way, and cycling is absolutely no exception.
There are so many different ways that biking improves your mental health. Cycling requires you to spend time outdoors and this is a well-known way to boost your mental health and it promotes mindfulness and positive thinking.
On top of this, cycling is a great way to release adrenalin and endorphins, which drastically affects the way you feel mentally.
If you are suffering from negative mental health, then you definitely want to take up cycling. Even for just 30 minutes a day, it will improve your mental health. Cycling also vastly improves your confidence, and when you feel confident, your mental health is affected really positively.
4. Your Balance Will Improve
Biking is already pretty balance-centric, but when you start to bike regularly, you’ll notice that your overall balance has improved.
Riding a bike and keeping it stable for long periods of time actually strengthens your core, arms, and legs, so as you build this up, you’ll notice that even when walking, you’re not as wobbly as you were before.
Even riding on a stationary bike in the gym is beneficial for your balance and it trains the stabilizer muscles in your legs, which is where we learn how to balance better.
5. It Helps You Save Money
Cycling is a pretty quick way to get around. Even with just 30 minutes, you can cover way more ground than you would be able to if you were walking.
Though cars are faster, they are a lot more expensive and as we’ve previously discussed, they can cause a great deal of damage to your lungs.
Even if you just swap your car out for your bike a few times a week, you will save yourself a whole heap of money. Once you’ve got yourself a bike, it’s completely free to ride.
You don’t have to worry about refueling and you don’t have to worry about spending any money to make sure you can get to your destination and back.
When you use your bike instead of your car, take the money you would have spent on gas and save it up for something special or a rainy day. You’ll be surprised by how much money you actually save!
6. Your Sleeping Habits Will Improve
If you struggle to sleep and you can’t work out how to make your sleeping habits better, then you may want to give cycling a go.
Cycling requires a lot of energy, even if you’re just doing it for 30 minutes a day. You’re working the whole bottom half of your body for the entirety of your bike ride and you’re keeping yourself balanced with the top half. Of course, you’re going to be tired once you are done!
When you cycle every day, even just for 30 minutes, you’ll start to notice that you’re sleeping a whole lot better. When you have a consistently good sleeping schedule, your overall health improves too.
7. Cycling Can Help You Make Friends
Though biking is usually done solo, there are lots of people who prefer to cycle with friends and family.
Cycling is actually a really social activity and sport, and there are so many cycling clubs and groups around, so you won’t have any problems finding one to join. If you’re looking to make some friends, this is a great way to do that.
Cyclists are usually really friendly as well, and when you share the same passion for biking as they do, it makes it easier to find common ground.
8. It Is A Low Impact Exercise
Most exercise is considered to be high-impact exercise because there is a higher injury rate.
It might surprise you to know that biking is actually a low-impact exercise and you’re actually more likely to sustain a serious injury from something like running.
If you want an exercise that is low in risk but highly beneficial, then cycling is definitely one to try out.
9. It Will Increase Your Endurance
It should be no surprise that biking even for just 30 minutes will increase your endurance, but that goes for off the bike too.
You’ll find your endurance and stamina are way better than it was before you started cycling regularly, so that means you’ll be able to do things for much longer without getting tired.
As your endurance increases, so too will your energy levels, which will vastly improve your quality of life.
Conclusion
As you can see, cycling for 30 minutes a day is extremely beneficial in lots of different ways. If you’re looking for a way to improve your overall health, this low impact sport is perfect for you.
