The happy cyclist:
From head to toe
The head and heart are very fond of each other. If you cycle at a moderate pace through stimulating surroundings, your heart rate increases. Do that for 30 minutes and the positive effects on the brain are enormous: your mood improves, you sleep more deeply, your stamina increases, anxieties and depression are inhibited and the connections in the brain become more numerous and stronger.
Brain
The prefrontal cortex goes into overdrive during cycling. In the cortex, you weigh up risks, consider other road users and ask yourself about the consequences of certain actions. The brain flourishes with variety. So, try cycling a different route to your usual one. You will get to work even more refreshed.
Endorphins
If you are curious to know the effects of endorphins, try cycling for 30 or 60 minutes. The brain will then start to produce endorphins. They ease the pain caused by physical exertion, and the head and body fill with feelings of happiness and even euphoria! But take note, it is addictive.
Heart
That heart is a great muscle. It beats for decades, usually without interruption. It beats faster when you are in love and slower when you sleep. But you do have to take care of it. Don’t eat too many fatty foods, exercise regularly, don’t stress too much, don’t smoke, don’t drink excessively, etc. But on the other hand, too much exercise is not good either. Cycling is perfect, but not at elite levels. The heart, especially the right chamber, can become overworked. It’s something that affects racing cyclists in particular. But just taking a daily ride will only make you fitter!
THE BRAIN AND OUR DAILY RIDE TO WORK OR SCHOOL:
- Your sleep will improve because cycling reduces the stress hormone cortisol
- Cycling regularly can reduce cardiac arrhythmias by up to 50%
- People who cycle for at least half an hour five times a week take half the number of sick days than those who don’t.
Stomach
The abdominal muscles provide balance when cycling. You won’t instantly get a six pack from cycling, but you will burn belly fat when cycling, certainly on longer rides at a slightly slower speed.
Buttocks
Cycling is good for your behind, we know that much. And certainly if you often do sprints or climb hills. If you like a rolling hilly countryside, cycle to the Brabant Wal or the highest point in Breda, the former Gulbergen landfill. For really hefty climbs, go to the Rijk van Nijmegen or South Limburg.
Saddle soreness
For the seniors among us: in 1991, the usually unflappable news presenter Harmen Siezen started laughing like a teenager when he read the news that almost one million of the Dutch population suffer with saddle soreness. It is a broad term for pain that can occur due to using the wrong saddle or one setup wrongly. Pubescent sniggers cannot disguise the fact that a saddle can genuinely cause a ‘pain in the ass’: the anus, the genitals (particularly a woman’s pubic bone) and the sit bones of the left and right buttocks. Go to a bicycle shop or to fietsersbond.nl for proper advice. And try not to laugh.
Thighs
We can be brief when it comes to this one: cycling is excellent for the thighs! The quadriceps – a fancier word for the thighs – provide the power that moves the peddles. Muscle growth, check!
Calves
Cycling regularly makes the contours of your calf muscles really visible. You won’t get explosive calves from cycling in the flat Netherlands. You are better off going to a gym or climbing mountains for that. If slim and shapely calves are your goal, then on a bike is the place to be.
Ankles
If you can get your thumb and ring finger around your ankle, then you are a genuine mountain goat according to road cycling folklore. Though thicker ankles may be of more use to you for your daily ride to work, because then you can sprint and just make that traffic light.
Feet
The feet are your link between your muscle power and the bike. That which starts in your head as: ‘I want to go cycling!’ transforms into pure energy on the pedals. Place your foot correctly (under the ball of your foot) or like road cyclists, wear clip-in bike shoes so you don’t slip and lose energy. Be wary of cold or even hot swollen feet. Don’t tie your laces too tight, and it’s best to wear leather or linen shoes. Your feet will be grateful, and you will fly ahead.
For cyclists who use their hands, the same applies as for the feet: make sure you have sufficient grip by wearing gloves for example.
