It's not all blood, sweat and gears!
Recently, I have seen a marked increase in patients taking up (or returning to) cycling. As often happens, sporting events such as the Tour De France, La Vuelta (the Spanish equivalent) and the Commonwealth Games raise the profile of the sport. We see the same thing with tennis during Wimbledon and football during the international tournaments and, although there will always be a drop off in participation after these events, for some people the habit sticks and they go on to reap the long-term rewards.
In this article, I will share some of the advice I give to my patients, in order to maximise the chances of sticking at activities such as cycling, beyond the initial bout of enthusiasm.
People take up new activities like cycling for a variety of reasons. When speaking to patients, the main one I hear is ‘getting fitter’. This may seem like a good enough reason, but actually understanding what that really means for you as an individual, will help you decide whether cycling is the right activity for you. A good starting point is to look at the benefits of cycling to see if they will meet your particular needs.
These first 3 physical benefits are what you might call the obvious ones:
1. Heal your heart
Studies from the US have shown that regular cycling can cut your risk of heart disease by 50%. According to the British Heart Foundation, around 10,000 fatal heart attacks could be avoided each year if people kept themselves fitter. Cycling just 20 miles a week reduces your risk of heart disease to less than half that of those who take no exercise.
2. Boost your bellows
Naturally, the lungs work considerably harder when you ride. An adult cyclist generally uses 10 times the oxygen they would need to sit in front of the TV for the same period. A patient who had been diagnosed with a chronic lung condition took up cycling to try and improve their lung efficiency. They started using a static exercise bike, moving on to a road bike as their stamina increased. After 3 months, a lung function test at the GP surgery showed a 10% improvement in their lung function; enough to move them from the ‘moderate’ to ‘mild’ category for their condition.
3. Burn more fat
Sports physiologists have found that the body’s metabolic rate is not only raised during a bike ride, but for several hours afterwards. “Even after cycling for 30 minutes, you could be burning a higher amount of total calories for a few hours after you stop”, says sports physiologist Mark Simpson of Loughborough University.
The following 6 benefits are less obvious, but you may find they address particular issues you have been struggling with:
4. Recover from injury
Cycling can be a great alternative if you are unable to do your primary activity because of injury. Runners, for instance, find that cycling is a useful way to retain fitness while they recover as it is non-weight-bearing. If, as a runner you tend to suffer with problems related to the quads and glutes, cycling can also help to strengthen these areas and protect you from future injuries.
5. Improve your sleep quality
Stanford University Medicine researchers asked sedentary insomnia sufferers to cycle for 20-30 minutes every other day. The results found that the time required for the insomniacs to fall asleep was reduced by half and their sleep time increased by almost an hour.
Exercising outside exposes you to daylight which helps to sync your circadian rhythm (the body’s ability to tell you when to sleep). It also rids your body of cortisol, the stress hormone that can prevent deep, regenerative sleep.
6. Improve your bowel health
According to experts from Bristol University, the benefits of cycling extend deep into your core. Physical activity helps decrease the time it takes food to move through the large intestine, limiting the amount of water absorbed back into your body and leaving you with softer stools, which are easier to pass. In addition, aerobic exercise accelerates your breathing and heart rate, which helps to stimulate the contraction of intestinal muscles preventing you from feeling bloated, aiding protection against bowel cancer.
7. Boost your brain power
Researchers from Illinois University found that a 5% improvement in cardio-respiratory fitness from cycling led to an improvement of up to 15% in mental tests. That is because cycling helps to build new brain cells in the hippocampus – the region responsible for memory - which starts to deteriorate from the age of 30.
8. Reduce your sick days
Moderate cycling stimulates your immune cells, so they are ready to fight off infection. In fact, according to research from the University of North Carolina, people who cycle for 30 minutes, 5 days a week take about half as many sick days as couch potatoes!
9. Live longer
King’s College London compared 2,400 identical twins and found those who did the equivalent of three 45-minute rides a week were nine years ‘biologically younger’ even after discounting other influences, such as body mass index (BMI) and smoking.
10. Get a (legal!) high
University of Bonn neurologists visualised endorphins in the brains of 10 volunteers before and after a two-hour cardio session, using a technique called positive emission tomography (PET). Comparing the pre-and post-exercise scans, they found evidence of more opioids (aka; the happy hormones such as endorphins) binding in the frontal and limbic regions of the brain, areas known to be involved in emotional processing and dealing with stress.
Aside from the physical benefits, cycling can also help improve the quality of your life.
11. Save time and money
For the first time, I am hearing patients cite the high cost of fuel, coupled with the general rise in the cost of living, as an incentive to get on their bikes. A comment I heard from one such patient really stayed with me. Having resolved to reduce their use of the car, they decided to dust their bike off and use it for short trips where they could. Their main worry had been how much longer it might take to get things done. However, they found that because they usually combined several things, such as going to a friend’s place for coffee with, for instance, a trip to the bank, shop and post office, they quickly realised that not sitting in traffic and looking for somewhere to park, plus not having to walk between places at either end of town, meant they could actually save time by using the bike!
This is backed up by studies. One that looked into commuting times in Cardiff, showed that if you drive for 60 minutes during rush hour, you will spend over 30 minutes going absolutely nowhere and average just 7mph, compared to averaging around 12-15mph while cycling!
12. Find some quiet time (or have some family fun)
Cycling has many benefits, including a unique feeling of freedom as you fly along. But you do need to have your wits about you, particularly on busier roads and through the towns and villages. For some, the idea of negotiating traffic can be off-putting.
Luckily in Norfolk, we are blessed with many options for cycling either off-road or on quieter lanes. There are several resources to help you find routes that you will feel comfortable undertaking. Listed below are a few favourites I have heard about from patients…
The Marriott Way: This is entirely off-road and follows the old rail lines for 26 miles between Norwich and Aylsham, making it ideal for a relaxing, safe, scenic bike ride. I would particularly recommend this if you are new to cycling or returning after a long break. The tracks are well maintained. There are benches dotted along the way. The cafes at Whitwell and Reepham stations provide the perfect stop off points for refreshments and Reepham Station even has a bike service and repair shop on site!
Blickling Park: The paths around the perimeter of Blickling Hall pass through idyllic parkland, around the beautiful lake and through woodland. There are a couple of cafes on site too.
The Nar Valley Way: This route follows the River Nar from King's Lynn to Gressenhall and has several sections which allow cyclists. The stretches closest to the riverside are the most scenic. These pass near Shouldham, West Acre and Litcham following footpaths and quiet country lanes.
Earlham Park: Bordering the University of East Anglia, this extensive area of parkland has a picturesque lake and woodland paths, plus you can visit the Sainsbury Centre art gallery and museum, which has free entry (plus paid special exhibitions) and a light and airy cafe area.
The Weaver’s Way: This route runs between Cromer and Great Yarmouth and includes parts of the Norfolk Broads. The sections from Aylsham to North Walsham and Bengate to Stalham are mainly off road, along disused railway lines.
If you are going to do it, do it right!
Whether you are thinking about taking up cycling or you are already a cyclist, there are a few things to consider, so that you get the best out of it and avoid some of the pitfalls which can lead to injury or just put you off it.
Do you have the right bike? If you are new to cycling or concerned that you just don’t have the fitness levels to make it enjoyable, it is well worth considering an electric bike. Having the option to get a bit of help on the hills or to take a break from pedalling on longer routes may be just the thing you need to build confidence and make you more inclined to use the bike for longer trips. They are not cheap to buy new, but they are gradually coming down in price. Also consider 2nd hand. Electric bikes have now been around long enough for the used market to be a viable option. Remember, once you build up your fitness levels, you may decide you no longer need an electric option and can sell it on to recoup some of the money, which may well be enough to fund a snazzy new non-electric bike!
On that note, 2nd hand bikes of all kinds are worth considering. There are plenty out there on places like Gumtree or Marketplace. Always check the gears, tyres and brakes and consider getting it serviced and set up at a reputable bike shop.
Think about the kind of cycling you want to do. Road bikes have narrower tyres with a smooth surface, off road bikes will have chunkier, textured tyres for riding on uneven terrain. Hybrids have a mix of the two, with a smooth surface in the centre of the tyre and textured edges and are suitable for on and off road.
Some bikes have suspension built in to one or both wheels and sometimes the seat too. If you have issues with your joints, this can really help soften the impact when riding on bumpy surfaces. A lot of the bike trails, even though well maintained are not as smooth as roads, so consider this if you are planning to use those a lot. If your bike doesn’t have any suspension you can sometimes retro-fit it quite cheaply, particularly the seat option.
Gear changing on bikes these days tend to be one of three types, levers on the handlebars that you push forward or pull back to move up and down gears or a handlebar twist mechanism. Plus, there is a more specialised system where the gear levers are incorporated into the brakes by use of a slider system. You see these most often on drop handlebar road bikes. If you suffer from arthritis in the finger joints or have any weakness in your hands, you will find the handlebar twist option far easier.
Get the gear! You don’t have to go full lycra, but some well padded gloves and cycling shorts can really make a difference, particularly on longer rides. Make sure you have a water bottle holder of some kind and if you plan to use the bike for shopping trips think about fitting storage paniers. A backpack is okay for lighter stuff, but you don’t want to overload yourself and end up with an injury. A good helmet is a no-brainer. Don’t skimp on cost here. Get a good one, properly fitted - and use it!
Warm up, warm down! A very common factor when I speak to patients who have injured themselves cycling, is the failure to warm up. There are differing opinions about the benefits of stretching before a bike ride, but the one thing it will do is alert you to any twinges before you set off. You can then try alleviating it with gentle stretching and if it doesn’t ease off, it may be best to get it checked out before embarking on a strenuous ride.
So, if you feel like cycling is the activity for you and you want to feel fitter, go faster, have better bowels, have superior thinking, live longer, reduce bouts of illness, get slimmer and feel really good about life, you now know what to do. One of the great things about cycling is that, even if you are not looking to get super fit, it can just be a fun, relaxing, scenic way to spend some time. It is really not all about blood, sweat and gears!
Happy Cycling!
Michael