If you want to improve your fitness, you need to find activities that push your physical limits. Physiologically speaking, you need to put yourself under enough physical stress that you require a recovery period. Then you need to repeat that process. This approach sounds simple, but it requires consistent effort and ongoing commitment.
But aside from the science, what makes cycling (one of the Humango team’s favorite sports) such an excellent activity for improving fitness? There are countless benefits, but we’ll focus on the top four reasons:
• Low impact
• Mental health
• Efficient
• Highly social
We’ll also look at virtual group rides, which offer additional perks, including:
• Accessibility
• Affordability
Why is cycling good for your health?
Cycling is a low-impact exercise.
If your goal is to stay fit, you should consider cycling just to prolong the longevity of your body. Cycling offers one of the lowest-impact activities of all endurance sports. This means you stand a much smaller chance of injuring yourself and sidetracking your training plan.
All this might sound fantastic, but we’d like to offer a word of caution: While cycling is low impact, it’s not entirely without risk of injury. When purchasing a bike, you may want to work with a qualified bike seller to find a bike that fits you well. You may even want to customize a bike to your build. Nothing ruins a good ride like a poorly fitted bike.
Cycling boosts your mental health.
Exercise, in general, is excellent for mental health. Like most endurance sports, cycling releases endorphins into the bloodstream, and these “feel good” hormones travel to the brain, reducing anxiety and improving your mood. However, that doesn’t mean more riding is always better. While training is beneficial, overtraining can adversely affect your mental well-being. By combining artificial intelligence with sports science, Humango can help you prevent this.
Cycling makes travel efficient.
Your body is an incredible machine on its own, but when you add the two-wheel brilliance of a well-designed bike, it becomes phenomenal. Even at a modest pace of 15mph, you will cover 60 miles in four hours. There aren’t many other ways to travel that distance that quickly — not without some mechanical assistance.
In many parts of the world, it is possible to go from the mountains to the beach in a single bike ride. In addition to the incredible scenery, this mode of travel provides a tremendous sense of accomplishment.
Cycling is highly social.
There’s nothing quite like getting outside on your bike and riding around with just your thoughts. The flexibility to get on the bike and cruise around is one of the best things about owning a bike. Yet, for those who need their daily fix of human interaction, cycling can also be a way to bond with like-minded people.
With many cities and regions offering bike clubs, organized group rides, Gran Fondos, and sportives, the cycling world has evolved into a tightly knit community.
Discover the benefits of virtual group rides.
While many bike riders enjoy the wind in their hair, cycling has leveraged the power of technology to create a new phase of indoor, interactive cycling. Immersive online platforms like Peloton, Zwift, and RGT Cycling make it easy for cyclists around the world to come together and share their passion for riding a bike.
In these online worlds, you can find a group ride for almost any riding level. Options include everything from group workouts for those who need to smash a set of intervals to organized races with categories and point systems. Whether you want a relaxed ride or an event that pushes your limits, there’s an online ride for you.
These digital riding communities offer advantages that go beyond the bike. From avoiding traffic to avoiding the new guy who will overlap your wheel, virtual group rides remove much of the worry and replace it with safe, stationary fun. You won’t need to worry about running out of food or drink, searching for a bathroom, falling because you can’t unclip your foot in time, or any other factors that tend to cause anxiety.
Virtual rides are always accessible.
As you can probably guess, one of the other advantages of riding in virtual cycling worlds is that they aren’t impacted by the weather. Whether you’re trying to beat the summer heat or skip winter’s rainy gloom, riding indoors lets you accomplish your goal easily.
Virtual riding is affordable.
All this might sound expensive and, compared to other sports, the cost might be higher. However, while you can certainly splurge for the latest and greatest technology the cycling industry has to offer, there are much more affordable options too.
Used equipment is an excellent option for those on a budget or unsure if their interest will last. Join a reputable form or cycling group and seek out trustworthy sellers. Make friends with your local bike store and ask for their advice. Do some research, see what is available, don’t fall for the hard sell, and feel free to take your time.
