Mountain biking is a great way to keep your body and mind in shape. When you run up or down a mountain, you'll be working out more than just your legs. Mountain biking has stayed a popular way to spend time outside over the past few decades. As obesity, heart disease, and diabetes become more of a public health problem, exercise, especially in the outdoors, is becoming more important for our health as individuals and as a society.
Cycling may already be part of your daily workout routine, or you may have been thinking about taking up a mountain bike and hitting the trails. In any case, we're here to persuade you of the importance of mountain biking and all of its benefits.
Mountain biking is a fun and exciting way to get the many health benefits of regular fitness and cardiovascular exercise, such as:
“Ride as much or as little or as long or as short as you feel, but ride!”
By Eddy Merckx
1. It is a full-body workout
Mountain biking provides riders with a more intense workout than ordinary workout because of the uneven terrain. More bike handling abilities are required as a result of balancing the bike over uneven terrain. This strengthens your abdominal and core muscles. Riding uphill also works your upper body. It's safe to say that mountain riding is a full-body workout.
2. Social benefits of mountain biking
Mountain biking is an excellent opportunity to meet new people who share your interests. If you're new to the mountain biking, the community is generally very welcoming and eager to assist newcomers on trails. You may cycle in groups, train for races together, and socialize with people who share your interests.
3. It Can Help You to Connect With Nature
Mountain biking is fun for many people because it helps them connect with nature. Several studies have shown that spending time in nature is very good for mental health and happiness in general. So, if you want to get away from the busyness of city life, spending time on the trails can be a great way to do it. Mountain biking is also a great way to enjoy nature if you live in a place with beautiful views.
One of the best things about mountain biking is that you can spend time in nature, which can be especially helpful if you're going through something bad and need a pick-me-up.
4. You can sleep better
You may feel fatigued and exhausted immediately after a ride, but it will ultimately result in more restorative sleep at night. Riding reduces cortisol, which is a hormone that keeps us awake. Being an outdoor exercise, mountain biking exposes you to daylight, which helps preserve the body's normal circadian sleep/wake cycle and increases vitamin D production. Avoid intense rides too late in the day, since they may have the reverse effect of generating endorphins, which can keep you alert.
5. It helps to develop your Brain Power
Researchers at the University of Illinois discovered that a 5% improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness by cycling linked to a 15% improvement on cognition assessments. This is partially due to the hippocampus — the region of the brain responsible for memory – producing new neurons. Professor Arthur Kramer stated, "It increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain, which stimulates and regenerates receptors, thereby explaining how exercise helps prevent Alzheimer's."
6. Disease Prevention
Regular exercise has numerous health benefits, including lowering your risk of acquiring life-threatening diseases. According to the NHS, exercise can reduce your chance of acquiring serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer by up to 50% and your risk of dying prematurely by up to 30%. It's also never too late to begin, as exercise has a favorable impact on your health whenever you do it.
7. Improved Heart Health
It is well recognized that regular exercise improves cardiovascular fitness. The British Medical Association found that riding a bicycle at least 20 kilometers each week reduced the risk of coronary heart disease by nearly 50 percent. Mountain riding requires a great deal of oxygen since it engages big muscle groups. This increases your heart's fitness by 3% to 7% due to the constant heartbeat.
8. Weight Loos
Whether you ride at high or low effort, any time spent on your bike can help you lose weight. While biking, you can burn 600-800 calories per hour, or more if you go hard. Regular cycling will help you lose those extra pounds quickly.
9. Improved mental wellbeing
The Mental Health Foundation says that all types of exercise can improve self-esteem, mental health, and well-being, and we agree. As well as losing weight and working your body muscles, you’re getting closer to nature and the benefits that brings.
When you finish a mountain bike ride, your body releases endorphins, which make you feel better about yourself and the world around you. That’s what makes mountain bike riding the ultimate stress buster!