The cycling is very beneficial for anyone who practices it. Not only for women but also men and children, any sport you practice brings a lot of benefits in terms of health and fitness. Today we will talk specifically about cycling, a thing that shouldn’t be neglected, since riding a bicycle is a sport that is practiced rather seriously, regardless of whether we do it only as a hobby. Also, riding a mountain bike, although it’s less popular than cycling, brings benefits as well. So, we’re going to discuss all the pros and cons below.
Source: MapMyRun Blog
Contents
Major Benefits of Cycling
Cycling is a cardiovascular activity, so it lowers blood pressure, improves our blood circulation, increases lung capacity, and metabolism. So, there is also a notable improvement in our physical resistance and general health condition. Of course, when we ride a bicycle, we use the legs a lot. This way, fat is burned in such areas of our body as legs and abdomen. Besides, cycling strengthens our buttocks due to the constant movement — quite a beneficial aspect for women.
Many girls start to grab the bike to lose weight. The best options to consider for this task is riding an uncomplicated bicycle or a mountain bike — you can share this activity with a friend, relative, or partner. It doesn’t cause a high load on our joints as it happens with running, which drops the entire weight of the body on the knees, ankles, and hips. For this reason, riding a bicycle is one of the most recommended sports for overweight people who want to get rid of some extra kilos.
As we have said, with cycling, we will also get a flat abdomen and a healthy body. Here’s a tip: by practicing cycling as a sport, you will lose weight much faster than if you only get on the bike from time to time — to have an enjoyable 30-minutes ride.
The Ideal Bicycle for Girls
Although men and women seem the same, we are quite different, so we must bear in mind that bikes must also be changed. That is why we will describe what the ideal bicycle for women should be.
The horizontal tube can be the same as that of the boys’ bike.
The saddles have to be very comfortable and above all — the tip should be shorter.
A narrow handlebar — because of the chest width. There should be a possibility to double its height.
The ideal feature of the bike is the ability to carry more weight on the legs and thighs than on the arms, so here, the geometry of the vehicle is always different from one for males.
These recommendations are for road bikes. And, if you visit 10ebikes.com, you can find a perfect bicycle for you. But, sometimes, girls can use the same bikes as boys for a matter of resistance/quality/weight. However, they still may fix the handlebars, the seat height, the power, etc.
Source: Bicycle Network
How Does It Affect Women’s Health?
Being an exercise that puts you in constant motion, cycling keeps your joints healthy. This way, you have much more resistant bones, and at an older age, you will be less likely to have serious bone issues. Of course, with a bicycle, you also lose weight — your bones will be burdened with much less pressure when walking, running, and doing other activities, and will become less atrophied with age.
Riding a bike, believe it or not, also has a slightly noticeable impact on mental health. This activity causes you to secrete endorphins, leading to a much more positive and revitalized attitude toward life. Even when exercising, we improve our memory and mental health, which brings us a feeling of well-being. In the same way, cycling reduces mental stress — it’s repetitiveness clears our minds, so we stay calm longer.
What Diet Should I Follow?
Cycling by itself is very healthy, but if we accompany it with a well-balanced diet, we will obtain results much faster. The excellent performance when riding a bicycle depends on several important factors, including our physical health and our diet. Cycling is quite demanding on the body, so the energy expenditure that one has must be compensated with a good diet to avoid suffering any illness or fainting.
Of course, we will not recommend any specific diet at this point, since each person has a very different body. We assimilate food differently, and the only person competent enough to recommend a balanced diet is the nutritionist. So, the main thing is that you should practice cycling based on our current condition and eating habits.
During this activity, our body will constantly spend a lot of energy, so many experts recommend taking energy drinks every 15 or 20 minutes to replace electrolytes and other substances that our body loses. Also, in professional cycling and competitions, girls often plan meals during the race, which tend to be sports gels, energy bars, food shakes, and other light but revitalizing meals.
Source: MapMyRun Blog
Cycling and Pregnancy
You can ride a bicycle as long as there are no risks for both the mother and the fetus, and the experts recommend enjoying the bike only the first three months of pregnancy because, after that, you lose your usual balance, and the posture becomes more uncomfortable. If you still want to enjoy cycling, always consult a competent doctor first.
The best thing about practicing this sport is the number of benefits it has for the mother’s health, such as:
- Relieves knee and ankle pressure from extra weight
- Prevents overweight and diabetes due to pregnancy
- Decreases the LBP level
- Psychological benefits: reducing anxiety and boosting mood
Things to Be Careful with
- Avoid the cobblestone streets, places with a lot of traffic, and difficult maneuvers (it is preferable to get off the bike, like all cyclists). It is not that the cobblestones harm the pregnant woman. Still, they do make it very uncomfortable to ride through them in this state.
- If you ride as a group, leave space between vehicles and avoid friction and falls (you are worth a lot).
- Drink a lot of water.
- If you feel tired or have a little trouble breathing, get off the bike quickly.
- Put on comfortable clothes and a helmet.
- Adjust the bike to your body. Your body has changed a lot for good, and now it’s time to adjust the handlebar and saddle.
Source: Bicycling
Cycling and the Advantages for the Planet
We have already talked about the benefits that every woman gets from cycling, beauty, mental health, physical health. Still, it is that cycling encompasses much more than that: If you bike to work you will be helping to reduce emissions of CO2 on the planet, and therefore you will also help prevent global warming, no matter how small a contribution. You can even take the bike to do some small shopping, since if you put a basket in the front or back, you can easily carry one or two bags home, and you will contribute to your body, your health, your pocket, and the planet will thank you.
