Benefits of riding a bike

Riding a bike has many benefits for your health, for example, at the cardiovascular, circulatory and respiratory levels. In addition, it tones the legs and reduces cellulite. Pedaling for an hour makes us burn approximately 500 calories and improves our aerobic capacity.

Oxygenates the brain and fights stress

When we ride a bike we increase our aerobic capacity and our lung capacity, forcing our lungs to exchange gases (O2 / CO2) much more efficiently, just as it happens when you do crossfit.

Studies show that riding a bicycle facilitates oxygenation of the brain (outdoor activity) and the creation of certain hormones that, together with the great power of disconnection from routine, help combat stress (nervous system fatigue) and improve our state emotional helping to avoid sadness and even get out of depression. The hormones involved are:
• Endorphins: induce the feeling of happiness.
• Dopamine: generates the feeling of pleasure.
• Serotonin: facilitates sleep.

Tones and strengthens the back
The quadriceps and hamstrings are quickly toned as they are the muscles that work the most when we pedal a bike. The calves and gluteus maximus are also strengthened, although to a lesser extent.
On the other hand, riding a bike regularly strengthens the back. The inclination of our body towards the handlebar favors the muscles of the lower back to tense and strengthen, stabilizing the trunk and protecting the spine from vibrations and shocks. This indirectly reduces back pain caused by a sedentary lifestyle, as well as the possibility of hernias.

Strong heart
If we ride a bike regularly and increase the intensity little by little, we will be able to raise our aerobic and anaerobic threshold. In addition, we will make the heart pump blood with much more force to facilitate the arrival of oxygen throughout the body, indirectly making the blood vessels more flexible. Thanks to this, we strengthen the circulatory system, the heart and we get the resting heart rate to drop. We will be more efficient in any daily activity!
In addition, the burning of calories occurs mainly in the form of fat (aerobic capacity) so our bad cholesterol (LDL) is reduced and good cholesterol (HDL) is increased.