Cycling whether you are 5, 20, 50, 80+ will always be good for your health
Cycling keeps the immune system young Scientists carried out tests on 125 amateur cyclists aged 55 to 79 and compared them with healthy adults from a wide age group who did not exercise regularly. The findings, outlined in two papers in the journal Ageing Cell, showed that the cyclists preserved muscle mass and strength with age while maintaining stable levels of body fat and cholesterol. In men, testosterone levels remained high.
More surprisingly, the anti-ageing effects of cycling appeared to extend to the immune system.
Stable testosterone levels in men Preserved strength Constant body fat levels Improved cholesterol levels
A single bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise for as less as 30 minutes can improve some aspects of cognition, most prominently for memory, reasoning and planning and can shorten the time taken to complete the tests.
Cycling is a lower less stressful impact form of aerobic exercise and docent stress and jar joints like running would
As you get older, your mobility may be limited. Medical conditions such as arthritis can impair your ability to perform the same types of exercise as you used to. Cycling increases your heart rate but minimizes wear and tear on your body.
Individuals within the geriatric community may have decreased peripheral vision, coordination, and balance, as well as reduced cognitive function and judgment.Musculoskeletal changes associated with ageing such as sarcopenia, osteopenia, and osteoporosis increase the risk of weakness, instability, and fracture.Although research supports the notion that cycling is a healthy modality to increase fitness and reduce cardiovascular risk factors, the elderly community is at a greater risk for injury due to anatomical and physiologic changes associated with ageing.
For teenagers stress, anxiety and depression is becoming more common and in 2017 15,000 younger adults were prescribed prozac style anti depressants which is a 79.4% increase since 2006. Doctors are beginning to become more familiar with mental illness however that means that some cases are being solved straight away through drugs before trying other methods such as exercise.
A study was done that showed regular aerobic exercise has the same affect on the brain as anti depressants.
Have you ever noticed how refreshed and accomplished you feel after doing a ride ?? This is the brain thinking you are either fighting the enemy or fleeing from it. To protect yourself and your brain from stress, you release a protein called BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor). This BDNF has a protective and also reparative element to your memory neurons and acts as a reset switch. That’s why we often feel so at ease and things are clear after exercising and eventually happy. endorpins are also released, they tend to minimize the discomfort of exercise, block the feeling of pain and are even associated with a feeling of euphoria.
This is why so many masters are still cycling competitively and for fun. it is because they are so happy and have an awesome time whilst also staying fit and healthy. I coached a masters session in March 2020 and one said to me how fun their masters racing was. Although he got a non significant place he still enjoyed the thrill of competing against his mates. This is honestly what sport is all about and why people should continue until they are physically unable.
