The Health Benefits Of Bike Riding

When Carolyn Stafford's leg started hurting her, medical tests couldn't find a cause for the pain. Her doctor suggested that stress might be creating the problem. At the time, Stafford was working a pressure-filled job in computer support. "I was constantly trying to solve people's problems," she says. "I had a lot of stress coming from that."

Since she enjoyed bicycling, Ms. Stafford decided to see if riding her bike to and from her job would help. She rode five miles each way. "It worked wonders. If it was a frustrating day, I'd get on that bike and I hammered coming home!" she says.

The effects of daily cycling were so beneficial for the Dallastown, PA, woman that when her employer temporarily moved the office nearly 10 miles from her home, she kept on riding. Her coworkers couldn't believe that Ms. Stafford, then in her early 50s, was going to continue the bike commute.

She did and when the office moved back to its original location, she adjusted her route so that she could still ride almost 10 miles each way. In winter, Ms. Stafford put studded snow tires on her bike and dressed in layers.

When she retired two-and-a-half years later, she continued her commitment to biking every day. She uses her bike instead of her car when she needs to travel into nearby York (eight miles from her home) for a haircut or a doctor's appointment or to go to the bank, post office or other errands. Last year, Ms. Stafford rode 10,400 miles on her bicycle and drove her car a mere 3,000 miles. "I only use my car if I have to go someplace quickly, or if I'm taking people," she says.

Get Smarter

A study conducted by Charles Hillman back in 2007 showed that exercise boosts brainpower and helps to stave off Alzheimer’s in the elderly. That same year, Dr. Phil Tomporowski showed that kids are even more positively impacted by time on the bike and that exercise can help control issues like ADD. (Read one cyclist's account of how riding helped him manage his ADHD.)

Improve Your Heart

Cycling is also great for your heart—although not just because you love riding so much (though that’s a great reason too!). A recent study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise spent five years looking at the activity of 1,500 subjects. Those who were active on a daily basis were 31-percent less likely to develop high blood pressure...... Read More.....