Cycling is a fantastic way to get some exercise to get your blood pumping. It is a convenient method to get around town and doesn’t cost much. Its low impact on your joints makes it a great alternative to those with joint problems. However, let us take a brief look at the pros and cons of cycling to determine if it is all that it is cracked up to be. Is there something sinister lurking behind this popular sport? What are the pros and cons of cycling?
Top 3 Pros:
There are many pros of cycling but today we are going to take a look at three of the most popular pros. Its low impact, stress reduction, and potential for weight loss.
Low impact exercise
Cycling is great for your joints as it is a low impact exercise. The movement that your hips, knees and feet go through during cycling help to lubricate your joints, which is great for those who have joint problems. For those who suffer from diseases that affect the joints such as arthritis but still want to stay active cycling is the way to go. All around it is a terrific way to stay active and care for your joints.
Stress reduction
As a form of exercise cycling gets your blood pumping. Studies have shown that exercise can lower stress levels. According to the mayo clinic exercise not only pumps up your endorphins, reduces the negative effects of stress, and improves your mood but also it is a form of meditation in motion. Personally, that’s quite beneficial, where do I sign up?
Weight loss
As an activity that can be done in an enjoyable manner it is easy to lose track of time while cycling, especially when done in a social environment. Therefore, is makes cycling an easy way to exercise for prolonged periods. Exercise has not only been proven to aid in weight loss, but also in increasing ones resting metabolism. That’s an easy way to lose weight in my book.
Top 3 Cons:
When discussing cycling it is not often that we hear about its negative side. Most people will rage about the benefits, but what are some of its disadvantages? Let’s take a brief look below.
Nerve and artery compression
Due to the shape and position of the bicycle seat as well as the long hours that some people spend cycling it has been shown by certain studies to compress the nerve and arteries in the groin area. This has been known to lead to erectile dysfunction, which let’s face it is not something any man would like to experience. However according to Harry Kam there are steps we can take to reduce the chances of this happening such as changing the angle of the seat, a proper fitting seat, and padded shorts.
Poor infrastructure
Not all cities have constructed fantastic bike paths to accommodate for the ever growing demographic of people that cycle. Sometimes cyclist are forced to use the public roads and highways to cycle. Naturally this is not as safe as cycling in specially constructed bike lanes. According to iihs.org in 2019 a total of 843 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles.
Bone Loss
One of the pros for cycling is that it is a low impact sport, however it is a mixed blessing. Due to the low impact it has on your bones and joints, it is bad for your bones. Cycling lacks the repetitive impacts that help strengthen bones by stimulating their formation. That being said if you are worried about your bones, you should rotate between different types of exercises to help stimulate your bones.
Above we have reviewed three pros and cons of cycling, I’m sure it is as clear to you as it is to me that the benefits of cycling far outweigh its drawbacks. However if you are worried, do follow the advices above and makes sure to only cycle in parks and places with clear bike lane. Don’t forget to cycle through pun intended different types of exercise as well to help stimulate your bones and stave of early osteoporosis.
