CYCLING KEEPS YOU FIT BUT ARE YOU DOING ENOUGH TO STAY HEALTHY?

What is the price of success? Imagine you could achieve your ultimate cycling goal but knew that in doing so you would sacrifice your social life, compromise your mental health and possibly end up with brittle bones.

-  Joe Laverick 

Would it be worth it? Research consistently shows that cycling is a hugely beneficial form of exercise, but public health guidelines also make it very clear that focusing solely on cardiovascular exercise is not enough as we grow older. If we’re one-track minded in our dedication to cycling over too many years, do we risk jeopardising our long-term health?

The words ‘fitness’ and ‘health’ are often used interchangeably, but that’s a mistake, as there are some key differences between the two. The offiial definition of health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being – much more than just the absence of disease. Fitness, on the other hand, is defined as the ability to perform aspects of sports, occupations and daily activities. It’s possible to be very fit in one specific way, for example being fast on a bike, while being unhealthy in other ways.

The UK Chief Medical Offiers’ Physical Activity Guidelines, published in 2019, recommend that adults “accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate- intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity” every week. As cyclists we tick that box easily with just a couple of rides per week, particularly if we include a few brisk hills or intervals. Aside from its headline benefits, cycling has been shown to improve posture and coordination while decreasing stress. Hitting these physical activity targets slashes the risk of Type-2 diabetes by 40%, cardiovascular disease by 35% and certain common cancers by 20%. Cycling is overall good for us, that much is clear.

Finding a balance