Go Ride a Bike! 3 Reasons Why Cycling Is Best for Your Mental Health

3 Reasons Why Cycling Is Best for Your Mental Health

 

By Luke S. Mitchell 

The connection between physical activity and soundness of mind has long been emphasized by both athletes and the medical community alike. And out of all the possible sports that you would benefit from in this regard, nothing beats a classic bike ride or its indoor counterpart.

How Cycling Improves Mental Health

Cycling is a great sport overall, but by far the most incredible thing about it is that it’s versatile. It doesn’t matter whether you take your bike out in the park or you’re participating in your gym’s best spinning workout routine, your mental health is still bound to improve. Here’s how that happens.

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Get Muddy: 11 Reasons Why You Need a Cyclocross Bike

cyclocross bike

Mud. Beer. Bikes. Need I say more? Cyclocross is one of the most fun, safe and accessible forms of bike racing there is. Even if you don’t plan to race, a cross bike is extremely versatile for year-round fun. Here are 11 reasons why a cyclocross bike should be in your future.

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The Surpising Hidden Benefits of Cycling

benefits of cycling

It’s no surprise that studies consistently show how cycling helps us to lose weight, lower blood pressure and cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, Alzheimers, cancer, diabetes and depression. Truth be told, most cyclists don’t need a dude in a lab coat to point out all the benefits of cycling. So much of what draws us to the bike has to do with the things that cannot be measured: the people we encounter, places we discover and personal limitations we consistently crush. 

Double-blind studies aside, here are the incredible hidden benefits of cycling.

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How to Lose Weight Cycling: Simple Hacks for Weight Loss

how to lose weight cycling

Weight is often at the forefront of a cyclist’s mind. Some get into cycling to lose weight and others need to maintain a certain power to weight ratio to stay competitive in the sport. And then there are those of us who enjoyed one too many coffee and croissant stops in the off-season and need to get things dialed in. Whatever your reason, here are a few tried and true ways for how to lose weight cycling, plus a couple of lesser-known weight loss hacks to speed up the process.

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Zwift Review: How to Boost Your Cycling Fitness Now

how to get started with zwift

Last updated: 12/29/16

If you hate the trainer, listen up. Zwift will save you from dying of trainer-induced boredom this winter and give your fitness a kick by spring. Here’s our official Zwift review and quick-start guide. 

What is Zwift and should you try it?

Zwift is a software program that syncs your bike to a live, virtual course where you can ride and train with other cyclists. Launched in beta mode in the fall of 2014, Zwift quickly grew a following. According to Bicycle Retailer, riders from over 100 countries have already logged over 300,000 rides that cover more than 4.5 million miles.

Riding this wave of popularity, Zwift switched to a monthly $10 subscription last year, though they’re still offering a 7-day free trial to new users. Best of all, you don’t have to have a fast computer to enjoy the game. Now that you can play via iOS, it’s easy to see why Zwift is currently the hottest training tool.

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