How Cycling Affects Mental Health
How Cycling Improves Mental Health
The physical benefits of cycling can include many benefits such as strengthening muscles, helping people to maintain a healthy weight and improving cardiovascular health. But there is another side to cycling that is also important, it has huge impact on mental health. As well as using cycling to stay fit, it has a powerful impact on maintaining your mental well-being. We will explore the many benefits of cycling in this article, including how it can uplift your mood, manage conditions like anxiety and depression and reduce stress.
The Science Behind Cycling and Mental Health
When you ride a bike, did you know that it can have a big impact on how your brain works? It is like other types of exercise such as aerobics, where it triggers the release of endorphins, or what can be called 'feel good' chemicals. They can make you feel happier and relaxed and less likely to be prone to stress. In addition to this, cycling can also increase your levels of serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters play an important role in regulating your mood, sleep and appetite. According to studies, having higher levels of these neurotransmitters can also result in a reduction of anxiety and depression. The big take-away from this is that cycling helps to balance the chemicals in our brains that regulate how we feel on a day-to-day basis. As cycling can have a calming effect on the body, it also can lower cortisol levels. The hormone cortisol is produced by the body as a response to stress. For the average person, a certain amount of cortisol in the body is normal, but too much can lead to fatigue and anxiety. Many forms of exercise including cycling can keep a check on cortisol levels which leads to less stress. Cycling can also impact the cognitive function of the brain, and many studies have shown that certain aerobic exercises like cycling can enhance your ability to focus and improve your memory. Cycling as a Stress Reliever The ability of cycling to relieve stress has long been seen as an important benefit to your mental health. Apparently, the rhythmic motion when pedalling a bike has been described as meditative by many cyclists. There appears to be a mindfulness aspect to cycling which can help you to release the mental clutter in your mind that plays a role in the development of stress. The fact that you are cycling outdoors also enables you to connect with nature. This has the ability to relax your mind and relieve stress.ss.
Cycling Helps to Boost Self-Esteem and Confidence
Cycling also enables you to feel a sense of accomplishment. As well as the physical changes to your body that you might notice after riding consistently, you can also feel a great sense of achievement by sticking to an exercise routine that is fun and good for your physical and mental health. As you get fitter, you become more confident, particularly if it has involved losing weight. The feel-good factor can boost your confidence and make you feel better about yourself overall. Riding with a group is also a great way to extend your social network which can also have a positive effect on your self-esteem and confidence. Joining a cycling group enables you to ride with people in scenic surroundings like riding beside a canal, through a nature reserve or to areas in your city that you didn't know existed. Sharing this experience with people who you can enjoy the scenery with is a great confidence booster. Social connections like these can boost your self-worth significantly.