Cycling As well as being able to increase your levels of physical activity, once you have your bike, choosing to cycle rather than drive or take public transport can save you money as well as help the environment.

Health benefits With all the benefits of outdoors physical activity, regular cycling can reduce the risk of a number of serious illnesses such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. It can also boost your mood, improving the symptoms of some mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. Cycling can also help you maintain a healthy weight. Cycling is a low-impact exercise, meaning it's easier on your joints compared to high-impact aerobics activities like running.

Get started A bike shop will be able to advise on choosing the right bike for you. If you buy a bike second hand, consider having a mechanic check it over to make sure it is roadworthy. You do not need special clothing to ride a bicycle. However, you may consider wearing brighter clothing to help other road users see you and you must use lights to ride at night. Cycling can be a great way to reach your recommended amount of physical activity of 150 minutes per week. Cycling to work or school some days, a couple of shorter rides during the week or a longer ride at the weekend, will help achieve this easily. When starting out, you can begin cycling in traffic-free areas such as a local park or cycle path. Always follow the Highway Code when cycling on roads. The route you might have once taken by car may not be the best route for riding a bike. It is worth checking out the route options to help you enjoy your journey. You can build up your skills and confidence through an Essential Cycling Skills training course, app or short guide from Cycling Scotland. (NHS, 2020)

A good example of how cycling influence a health and have impact on your mind is a case of an American man with chronic disease that turned his life upside down. He gave lecture for TED Talks few years ago: Anthony Desnick is saying in his lecture how beneficial can be riding a bike for your health. He underlines that 600,000 people die from wholly preventable sedentary related illnesses every year in USA. He also states that 33,000 people die every year in a car crashes in USA. The numbers are big and scary, but it turns out that the people are still lazy and prefer to drive. The situation is improving, and the calculation is obvious: 1Euro spent on cycling infrastructure returns within one year 8 folds. Anthony Desnick is ill for Crohn’s Disease and after diagnosis and few operations he was told that with current state of disease development he will not be able to absorb any nutrition within next 5 years. But his death sentence helped him to discover benefits of cycling. Step by step and enjoying every bit he started to cycle longer distances. After years it resulted better stamina and eventually Crohn’s Disease symptoms withdrawal. He now tributes a lifesaving effect to a bicycle. Anthony believes now that every bike ride he takes – is making him smile. (Desnick, Accessed: 01/03/2021)