Reasons Why You Should Still Go Biking

Most of us took up biking as a means of recreation when we were younger but as the years passed, we somehow hung up our bikes and forgotten about it in the wake of faster and cooler cars. However, with all the talk about saving the environment and reducing our carbon footprint and various health issues, the forgotten bike is suddenly making a comeback of epic proportions.

There are those who never really stopped biking and then there are those who want to start taking it up again but need a good reason to do so for fear that they would appear childish. Since when did you need a reason to have fun? What could be more fun than feeling the wind on your face as you ride your bike on the country lanes, surrounded by majestic and panoramic views of the mountains? What could be more fun than riding with nothing but wide open roads before you, inviting you to go on and on?

If reasons are what you need then there are plenty other than experiencing the pure joy of riding. For one, you'll get to your destination faster since you aren't really subject to the laws of traffic lights and the like. If you're a health buff, biking also increases cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and flexibility. It also decreases your stress levels and improves your posture and coordination. It also helps improve your immune system so you can fight off diseases and illnesses better.

However, biking also has lesser-known benefits that have persuaded many people to take it up again, primarily because it addressed their main health concerns and aroused their curiosity to the point that they would like to experience the truth of it. For insomniacs, biking can help you sleep better because it tires you more than driving a car especially if you do it early in the morning. This is because when you exercise in broad daylight, your circadian rhythm gets back in sync and your cortisol levels are reduced, which results in an interrupted, good night's sleep.

For those who would like to stop the hands of time, biking also makes you look younger. Studies conducted on this matter shows that regular cycling improves your circulation and helps oxygen and nutrients to your skin cells more effectively while flushing harmful toxins out through sweat. This exercise also creates an optimal environment for collagen production which reduces the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. This doesn't mean however, that you can go out without some sun screen protection.

Biking also helps prevent bowel cancer. Biking accelerates your heart rate and breathing which helps stimulate the contraction of your intestinal muscles, which also help keep you from being bloated. Also, biking helps decrease the time it takes for food to move through your large intestine and limits the amount of water absorbed back into your body so you have softer stools that are easier to pass.

Another benefit as proven by recent studies is the fact that biking also improves your mental abilities or keeps you sharp. A five percent improvement in cardio-respiratory fitness showed about 15% improvement in mental tests and this is due to biking being able to help in building new brain cells in the hippocampus, or that part of the brain concerned with memory, something that begins to deteriorate when we hit the age of 30. Proofs of this benefit are office employees who've increased their productivity at work, managed their workloads and increased their ability to deal with work-related stress.

And last but certainly not the least, never let it be said that biking isn't for everybody. Even pregnant women and the little ones in their belly can benefit from regular biking. Pregnant women who exercise regularly have less complicated labors, recover faster and experience lesser mood swings during their entire pregnancy.

If you still have any doubts about why you shouldn't take up biking or continue to go biking, just re-read the benefits mentioned above. You can check chappelli.com.au for more information on the best bikes you can buy that are worth your time and money and ones that will enable you to pursue a healthier and happier lifestyle.