GET ON YOUR BIKE & feel miles better
Cycling can transform your life in so many surprising ways. Sarah Barratt explains how it worked for her, and why there’s never been a better time to get on the saddle
It’s official: we’re in a bicycle boom. During the pandemic lockdowns, as both novice and seasoned cyclists made the most of quieter roads, bike sales rocketed by more than 60%. And, despite our roads filling up again, that trend shows no signs of slowing down. Experts predict that cycle sales will exceed a whopping £1b by next year.
I converted to two wheels around five years ago, to take advantage of the Government’s cycle to work scheme. It wasn’t always easy – traffic terrified me, and don’t get me started on saddle sores – but before long I was reaping the benefits: I had become fitter, mentally and physically, than I’d ever been before.
Cycling, it seems, could be just what the doctor ordered. And now the NHS is getting behind the two-wheel revolution. People could soon be ‘prescribed’ cycling to help tackle loneliness, poor health and obesity. So what exactly is the science behind the health benefits of getting on your bike?
Few things get you fitter faster
When it comes to time versus benefits, you’ll struggle to find anything that improves your fitness quicker than cycling. An experiment conducted at the University of Stirling into different forms of high-intensity interval training (proven to be the fastest form of exercise for building fitness) showed that just 40 seconds of intense pedalling three times a week could result in more than a 10% increase in aerobic fitness. But don’t panic if you feel you’ll never be uber-fit. The rise of e-bikes – bikes with a small integrated motor that work alongside pedalling – can give you a welcome boost on the steep bits, meaning that cycling really is now accessible to all.
It’ll whittle down your waistline
Getting on your bike is a great way to shed pounds. A study from the University of Copenhagen showed that cycling to work can be a more effective way to lose weight than going to the gym five days a week (and it’s cheaper, too). During the research, 130 people classed as ‘overweight’ were analysed during a six-month period. One group cycled to work each day, another did a 35-minute high-intensity gym workout while a third did a 55-minute moderateintensity workout. By the end, the cyclists had lost on average 4.2kg – 1.6kg more than those doing moderate exercise and only 0.3kg less than those doing high-intensity workouts.
It can reduce disease risk
There’s overwhelming evidence to suggest doing just 20 minutes of physical activity a day has myriad benefits for your over
