From PEZ Cycling News:

Let’s start by looking at some basic statistics here in the United States:

• In 2004, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that only 10.5% of Americans over the age of 18 exercised 5+ times per week. The CDC defines exercise per day as 10+ minutes. Yes, you read that correctly, 10 minutes! Most cyclists take twice that long just to warm up!

• Nearly two-thirds of US adults are over-weight and nearly one-third is obese. The CDC uses the Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine this particular statistic. Over-weight is a BMI greater than 25; obese is greater than 30. And although we realize that BMI is not a perfect tool to determine this statistic, all you have to do is walk around these days and see where the general trend is going; people are heavy!

Ouch! Given those two statistics, do you understand why training on a bike is not just about improving performance?

Other than crashing, sunburn, and some researchers saying that you increase your health risk from free radicals damaging your body (we will leave that topic for them to debate), the health benefits out-weigh any possible down side. Here are just a few of the many benefits:

• Metabolic- Exercise helps to maintain a healthier body weight and improves insulin resistance. Diabetes risk increases with age, and regular exercise helps to reduce this risk. Regular exercise also improves our cholesterol profile, particularly the good cholesterol (HDL), which is an important anti-oxidant. Regular exercise also helps to reduce blood pressure and the prevalence of hypertension is greater than 50% by the age of 60.

• Cardiovascular and respiratory function – Our vascular system ages along with rest of us (and in the majority of us, death is caused by diseases of the blood vessels, primarily from atherosclerosis.) Our blood vessels and heart become stiffer (lose compliance) and there is a decline in our maximal heart rate as well as maximal oxygen uptake (Max V02). Ongoing training can blunt this decline.

• Strength – Maximal strength decreases with age and possibly can be linked to a loss of fast twitch (2B) fibers. Although cycling provides mostly aerobic benefits, combining it with strength and resistance training provides a more complete program. It’s important for masters athletes to balance their cycling training with other areas of conditioning. Yoga, pilates and some weight work in the gym can all help.

• Training and proper nutrition can delay age-related changes in body composition - As we age, fat-free mass decreases, fat mass increases, there is a decrease in muscle and bone mass and we eat more (ice cream.)

• Psychological and lifestyle– Training gives us a great outlook on life, allowing us to explore and enjoy so much of the outdoors that is unique to cycling. How often have you experienced some form of stress, gone for a training ride or raced and come back feeling more refreshed and ready to take on life? That alone is enough reason to ride a bike and appreciate the cycling lifestyle! It’s also a reason to tell your boss that you require a three-hour lunch to improve your job performance. 

• Longevity - Cycling is easier on the body because of being a low weight bearing sport. It’s something that we can do for years without the possible wear and tear associated with other sports like running. It seems like a lot of time, cycling is the choice of doctors for rehabilitation of knees and other sports injuries.