Now that you have retired you have plenty of time in which to fill your day.
Developing good habits is one of the keys to a happy and healthy retirement.
Creating a good exercise routine is an important part of this.
Staying fit ensures that you can make the most of your retirement years regardless of how you choose to spend them.
Cycling is a great way to improve your health.
After all, its exercise whilst sitting down.
How great is that!
We’ll explore the benefits of cycling, the different types of bike you can try, give you tips on how to get started and suggest a couple of ways in which you can make your bike rides more enjoyable.
The truth is that if you don’t enjoy it you’re less likely to continue to do it.
Why should I cycling?
What are the benefits of cycling?
Some of the benefits of cycling are;
1.Improved cardiovascular health: Cycling is great for your heart and lungs. It can help reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke.
2. Increased endurance and stamina: Regular cycling can help you build up your endurance and stamina. This will make it easier to tackle any other activities you may do in your retirement.
3. Weight loss and management: Cycling is a great way to burn calories and lose weight. It’s easier to cycle for longer than running for example, so you can keep burning calories over a greater period of time. Don’t forget that it will increase your metabolism too so you’ll be burning calories even when you stop.
4. Reduced stress and anxiety: Cycling can be a great way to clear your head, focus on the world around you, and reduce stress and anxiety. If you join a bike club you can meet new friends and improve your social interactions.
5. Improved joint mobility and flexibility: Cycling is a low-impact activity that can help improve joint mobility and flexibility, especially in the legs and hips. It’s an ideal ‘starter’ exercise, allowing you to build up your flexibility which will benefit your wider lifestyle.
6. Increased muscle strength and tone: Cycling can help build and tone muscles in the legs, glutes, and core. Start off steady but gradually test your new found fitness on small hills to really improve your strength.
7. Improved balance and coordination: As we age balance can be one of the areas that we struggle with the most. Cycling requires balance and coordination, and can help improve these skills over time.
8. Reduced risk of injury: Cycling is a low-impact activity that puts less stress on your joints and muscles than other forms of exercise. As such it’s a great way to reintroduce yourself to exercise after a long break, illness or injury.
9. Better sleep quality: Regular exercise, including cycling, can help improve sleep quality and reduce the risk of sleep disorders.
10. Environmental benefits: Cycling is a sustainable form of transportation that produces zero emissions, helps to reduce air pollution, and combat climate change. With the growth of e-bikes there’s also an opportunity to replace many of your car journeys with a bike ride instead.
What type of bike should I buy?
A lot of people might have a bike in the shed or garage that they can clean up and use, but for others you may need to buy a new bike.
The question is what type?
The answer depends on two things;
What you want to do with your bike, and your level of fitness and ability.
Fist though, what are the common types of bike?
- Road bikes: these are designed for speed and long-distance riding on paved roads. They are used for racing, touring, and commuting. Typically you would need to be fit or have a plan to get fit to use this type of bike to its full potential.
- Mountain bikes: designed for off-road terrain with a strong frame, suspension, and wide tyres. These are used for trail riding, and biking off road.
- Hybrid bikes: these are a combination of road and mountain bikes, usually with a more upright riding position. Typically used for commuting and leisure riding.
- E-bikes: similar to road, mountain, or hybrid bikes but with a motor and battery to assist with pedalling. Often used for commuting and ideal for people trying cycling for the first time in a while. These are also great for people who are less fit or recovering from illness or an injury.
- Commuter bikes: designed for city riding or shopping with features such as mudguards, lights, and baskets for carrying shopping.
If you are not still not sure about what type of bike you want try hiring one for a day or two. You could try different types before deciding.
Hopefully you’ll be spending a lot of your time on your bike in future so you may as well take your time to get one that suits you.
Staff at bike hire shops are often very knowledgeable and can offer you tips and advice on how to choose.
Don’t forget to get a helmet too.
There are all types of helmet available nowadays, many of them very trendy, so there’s no reason to avoid wearing one.
How to start biking again in retirement.
As with most new activities it’s best to start slowly. It might be years since you have been on a bike.
It’s normal to be nervous if that’s the case.
Don’t worry though; after all it’s as easy as riding a bike!
Try to find a level and quiet area for your first ride and don’t push yourself too far.
How about biking to a nearby friend’s address or just the local shop to start with.
There’s no need to break distance records just yet.
The idea is to get you used to being on a bike again and to increase your confidence.
You’ll soon be clocking up the miles once you get used to it.
How to make your bike rides more interesting.
Biking around your local area can be fun to start with but once you’ve been around your neighbourhood a few times it can be repetitive and a bit boring.
It’s important to keep your rides interesting to maintain your motivation.
Here are 5 ways to make your bike rides more enjoyable;
Choose a more scenic route that is further away from home.
Try biking with a friend or join a cycling club.
Aim for a longer ride – you can take snacks and water to help you go further afield.
Switch up your route to keep things interesting.
Head to a café for a drink to break up your ride.
Take photographs on your ride to post on Instagram or other social media.
Set yourself a target for the week, month or year to monitor how far you ride.
Aim to notice the different types of flowers, landmarks or buildings that you might see on your ride.
As we’ve mentioned earlier cycling is a great way to get fit.
It’s up to you how you include it in your retirement plan.
You can use a bike when you go to the local shops or head off on a round the world trip.
How about getting back on a bike today and see where it takes you!
Read more….9 ways to get fit in retirement
***All the photographs shown in this article were taken on our retirement travels. Good luck on your travels***
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