Cycling has long been considered one of the top forms of exercise as it hits several parts of your body at the same time without the usual stresses and strains that come from other options. However, where this exercise really shines is when conducted by the elderly. In this post, we’re exploring a few reasons that make cycling perhaps one of, if not the best, exercises for those of a more mature age.
Improves Cardiovascular Health And Endurance
As we age, our bodies go through various stages of decline, which is both frustrating and scary in equal measure. While you might never regain the same strength you had in your youth, there is one thing that every senior citizen can do to boost almost all aspects of their health: improve their cardiovascular fitness. Most geriatric doctors that you will find on this list here will tell you that improving this part of your health can do wonders for your body. Moreover, increasing the ability of your heart and arteries to pump blood around efficiently will significantly contribute to better overall well-being. Cycling is a great way to get your heart rate up in a manner that is safer than other options and controllable based on your ability and desire to workout. This is partly due to its low-impact nature, which minimizes issues related to the joints that can put many elderly folks off exercise to begin with.
Strengthens Muscles And Enhances Flexibility
The unfortunate truth is that as you get older, your muscles will begin the process of atrophy, and without any form of stimulus, you will eventually turn into the stereotypical old person who is no longer able to even stand by themselves. To avoid this fate, exercise is essential to keep your joints in movement and your muscles strong enough to help you live your life independently and on your own terms. Cycling is the obvious choice for this (possibly alongside swimming), as it exerts enough force on your joints and muscles without subjecting them to the stresses that could result in injury. Even if you opt for an electric bike, which seems to be all the rage these days, you will still see the benefits as you can use the electric motor to help you pull away and climb hills, then turn it off on the flatter sections to push yourself.
Encourages Outdoor Activity In Nature
Although not the case for all elderly people, many will get stuck in the spiral of feeling too lethargic to go outside and end up sitting in front of the TV all day, which only serves to make this cycle even worse. Cycling can be the impetus that gets you off the sofa and outdoors, where you can interact with other people, improving your mental faculties while also breathing in the fresh air. This action creates a virtuous cycle that provides you with more energy and reason to get up each morning and seize the day.
There are plenty of low-impact sports that elderly folks can get involved with that will have equally advantageous effects on their body, but cycling is arguably the most uncomplicated and most straightforward to get into. By hopping on the bike, older people will discover that their bodies begin to increase in vitality and will be able to move around and enhance their quality of life significantly
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