This post is also available in: Deutsch (German)
Looking at road cycling in a different way: through health glasses. How road bike cycling benefits me apart of bringing a lot of fun and adventure in fresh air.
Degradation of brain substance?!
“Movement means flexibility. The ability to adapt can decide about survival and destruction. (…) Movement is essential. Lack of exercise in older age often leads to degradation of brain substance.” As read by Steven Broschart and Rainer Monschein in their book “The Content Factor”. The correlation was discovered by US American scientists during a study in 2016. “Die Welt” wrote about the study: “The researchers found a direct link between poor fitness in middle age (around 40 years) and brain volume decades later. «This indicates accelerated brain aging, “says Nicole Spartano of Boston University. Lack of exercise could thus accelerate brain aging. This would mean that the brain of moving grumps ages faster.”
It is never too late to get up from the sofa
It’s never too late to start moving, American researchers said in a study in 2018 encouragingly. “Even in middle age, it’s worth getting up from the sofa and start moving.” But the later you start, the more intensive the sport needs to be in order to catch up with unhealthy periods. (found at: “Sport: Besser spät als nie”, Scinexx, das Wissensmagazin)
Not only big people suffer from lack of movement
Not only big or heavy people suffer from lack of exercise. “Even thin people can suffer from the lack of physical condition, develop sleep disorders and tiredness, or suffer musculoskeletal disorders, and the general immune system is also affected by lack of exercise.” can be read at medlexi.de. However, the approach is simple: “The treatment of physical inactivity is ideally, ie in healthy people, very simple.” They start to do sports and thus strengthen their health and well-being. “
Consequences of lack of movement
we-go-wild.com describes 13 possible consequences of lack of movement. Overweight is only one of them. Others are, for example, tensions, chronic diseases or even infections. During a study of University of Cambridge in 2015 it was identified that twice as many people die from lack of exercise as overweight. (found at aerzteblatt.de)
A “moving life” has many advantages
Now it’s time for something positive:
neovida.de listed for us “eight wonderful reasons for more exercise”: “Lack of exercise makes you sick, whereas a” busy life “:
- strengthens the immune system and promotes good health.
- comes along with strengthening capabilities.
- relieves stress and tension.
- reduces sleep disorders.
- makes happy.
- pushes self-confidence.
- affects positively concentration and intellectual capacity.
- extends life”
And whats the benefit of cycling?
Especially cycling combines a series of positive consequences (nationaler-radverkehrsplan.de):
- Reduction of overweight
- Reduction of mental stress
- Avoidance of cardiovascular diseases
- Strengthening the back
- Positive effects on lipid metabolism, hypercholesterol, hypertension
- Improved stamina
- joint protection
- Further preventive effects
Get on your bikes. If you already can’t wait to start cycling again after a long winter season anyway. Cycling is not only fun and adventure, but also an excellent contribution to health. Especially for us older people. The principle must be: stay focused. It’s not enough to enjoy the sun during an a bike trip in spring. The goal must be to cycle regularly during the whole year.And of course on a road bike. If not from the beginning, then at least having the perspective …
Germany in a worldwide comparison
In the current issue of the cycling newspaper “Tour” there is an article on page 71 called “Lazy Germans?” The article refers to a WHO study of 2016. According to WHO, everybody should do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. Or 75 minutes of intense sports. A combination of both works too. In Germany, this mark is permanently missed by 42.2 percent of the population! Germany is among the last in comparable countries. Together with Portugal, Cyprus and New Zealand. In addition, Germany has the largest increase in physical inactivity since 2001: more than 15 percent. Together with Brazil, Bulgaria, Philippines and Singapore. Worldwide, the figure remained practically the same over the same period (2016: 27.5%). How Germany compares in comparison can be read in detail here: thelancet.com.