Ring In The New Year On Two Wheels

January 13, 2021

3 minute read.

New year, new you! We all know resolutions are exciting, fun to make, and hard to keep. Well, we've got a New Year's 2021 resolution that is guaranteed to bring you health, happiness, and more fun to your life.

The resolution is simple, ride your bike more often! If you never ride, ride a few times a month. If you ride monthly, ride weekly. If you ride regularly, push yourself farther. The idea is to spin your wheels more this year, while living a healthier lifestyle. The resolution is more than doable and most of us already have the skills needed to to get it done.

This year I will _____ more!

According to YouGov, an international research data and analytics group, “The most common resolutions for U.S. adults as we head into 2021 are doing more exercise (50%), losing weight (48%), and improving diet (39%).” All three of these resolutions can be achieved by riding your bike more often and making healthy choices in our daily routine.

Exercise

Riding a bike not only makes your body stronger, it also improves brainpower and relieves stress. A 2013 study in Cycling Weekly found that cyclist’s blood flow in the brain rose between 28-70% in specific areas. And after exercise, the blood flow benefits persisted. This increased blood flow leads to better cognition.

Weight Loss

This should seem like an obvious point, but it’s an important one. Biking burns between 400 to 1000 calories per hour, depending on intensity and rider weight. Since weight loss is a simple equation of more calories burned vs. calories consumed, if you combine biking with a healthy diet, you can definitely shed extra pounds relatively quickly by adopting a regular cycling regimen.

Improving Diet

Cycling can help improve your eating habits greatly through maintaining a healthy weight with regular exercise, and eating a balanced diet rich in leafy greens, lean proteins, and healthy grains all help your overall health!

Woman riding bike with no hands at sunset.

Does riding a bike really reduce stress?

Of course exercise can reduce stress, but a recent study in the Lancet of more than one million respondents found that biking is one of the most stress-reducing activities. Cyclists experience 21.6% fewer days of poor mental health than those who didn’t ride. This was second only to team sports, which reduced poor mental health by 22.3%, but it was above other aerobic and gym activities. And there are indications that biking with a group can give you the benefits gained through team sports.

In fact, cycling is a great way to spread your social circle. Cycling clubs are common and easy to find through your local bike shops or on the internet, and are a great way to make lasting friends and get positive reinforcement and encouragement.

Couple riding bikes at the marina.

Fitness, Freedom, and Fun!

At Bicycle Warehouse our mission is "to inspire your passion to ride so you enjoy more fitness, freedom and fun in your life." We stand behind this mission statement and truly value the opportunity to get our community rolling on two wheels.

Happy New Year -- It's Your World Ride It!

Thanks for reading our BLOG article on our 2021 New Year's resolution. Check out our additional BLOG articles for more great information and inside tips!

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