The bike-riding lifestyle has many perks. Some people do it occasionally or as a hobby, while others dive in headfirst and take their bikes out daily. You should consider the bike-riding lifestyle.
In this article, we’ll talk about seven ways biking can change your life for the better. If you’re not doing it yet, this list might convince you.
You Can Save Gas Money When You Bike Instead of Driving
Some cars use electricity these days, but many still require gas. If you have a gas-powered vehicle, you can save money if you start biking instead of driving.
You can also avoid many car wrecks by riding your bike and staying within bike lanes. Getting legal help following a car accident proves challenging sometimes, so you should avoid it if possible. It’s true a car can hit you while you’re on a bike too, but you make that less likely if you wear reflective clothing and avoid biking after the sun sets.
Biking rather than driving works best if you have a job near your house. If you can find employment close by, that’s an ideal situation where biking makes sense.
You Exercise Many Muscle Groups
By cycling, you will exercise many muscle groups. Your legs can become strong if you cycle frequently. If you can tackle some steep hills in your area, that will challenge you more than nearly any other physical activity you can undertake.
You can start by riding along flat ground, but then, when you become more confident, you can begin mapping out more challenging routes. If you stick with it, you will surprise yourself when you improve your stamina. You will also see results in the mirror.
Your significant other or spouse will likely notice the difference. If you’re not dating anyone at the moment, you might gain confidence and approach someone once you’ve toned and tightened your body.
You Will Burn Some Calories
You will also burn calories every time you ride your bike. You can always get a stationary bike and ride at home, or you can get one of the more high-end ones like a Peloton. However, you might like getting out on the road and looking at the landscape around you better.
Pelotons and similar bike-related exercise equipment can present virtual reality experiences like the real thing, but you are still just in your house or apartment. By getting out on the street, you will experience all that nature offers, and you’ll work off that pizza you ate the other night as well.
You Can Bike with Family and Friends
You can enjoy your new bike hobby and see whether your family members, friends, or coworkers will join in. Maybe you have kids, and you say you’ll buy them bikes as well. You can spend time with them while biking. It gets them off their phones and active in the world.
If your spouse or partner also wants a bike, you can get in shape together. You can have romantic, slow bike rides at sunset, or you can race each other in competition’s friendly spirit. You can say the winner might pick the movie you’ll watch that night, or the loser must do the dishes.
If you have some coworkers who you like, biking together can bring you closer together. If you find your whole team at work likes this activity, you can bond while you do it. You will get along better at work if you’ve found common ground during your downtime.
You Can Explore Your City or Town
You can explore your city or town while on your bike. You might find some hidden gems around your neighborhood, like bodegas that carry exotic treats, bookstores with rare first editions, or coffee shops that serve the strongest java in your area.
You can find parks and bike through them. You might notice playgrounds you can bring your kids to later. You may discover tree-lined, shady trails that look beautiful in the fall.
You can head further out once you become more confident. You might explore neighborhoods all the way across the city once you build up enough endurance and leg strength. You can take day trips, tie up your bike, and have lunch or dinner before heading back. Maybe you’ll allow yourself an ice cream cone or some other treat instead.
You Can Set Fitness Goals and Then Reach Them
You can also have particular fitness goals that you’ll set once you start biking more seriously. You may start with slow, languid rides around the neighborhood, but maybe you’ll start taking longer and more intense rides as your strength grows.
Maybe you will get a fitness wearable and track your heart rate as you go. You can also try biking five miles, then ten, and then fifteen or twenty. Imagine how proud you’ll feel when you double what you could do when you started.
Biking Can Help You Shake Your Depression
Biking helps people find focus. If you have clinically diagnosed depression, you may find that physical exercise helps you. Most therapists will tell you that working out gets your endorphins flowing, and that’s one of the best ways you can shake off the blues.
You can also bike if you feel frustrated, sad, or upset about something. Maybe you have a challenging situation at work, or you and your partner don’t see eye to eye at the moment. If so, you have some healthy ways you can work through those feelings. You can always get a gym membership and beat up a punching bag for half an hour, but biking can work just as well.
If you tackle a very tough course and you push yourself through it, you can gain clarity. You will come through feeling more relaxed and engaged with your life. You can talk through what’s bothering you, and you may find your depression isn’t so bad anymore. This option helps so many people.
