Many years ago I used to get out on my bike for an hour and it seemed like a lot of riding.
As the years passed by and the adventures grew from a quick rip down the mountain to long rides up and down and then into seven-day bike races, those one-hour rides turned into three, four or five-hour rides. It seems these days that if I ride for an hour its because I’m short on time or racing to work.
I can’t lie, I love getting out for all day epic rides and about a year ago I remember thinking that if I could only ride for an hour it was almost a waste of time, I was barely warmed up. But in reality, those quick rides are a great way to stay fit and healthy. Maybe my passion for riding had me losing focus on what’s important.
Today a customer dropped off a study about what one hour of cycling does for a person. Here are the basics of it.
10 Minutes:
A sense of freedom hits as a smile forms and you forget about day to day life and pedal faster and faster.
20 Minutes:
Your enjoyment spikes and your body rids itself of cortisol, the stress hormone that prevents deep, regenerating sleep.
40 Minutes:
Blood and oxygen to the brain are boosted. If you do this regularly you will take half as many sick days as those who stay on the couch. (or the same amount of sick days, but half of them will be so you can go ride your bike)
45 Minutes:
Serotonin and endorphins are released into the blood stream, helping improve your mood.
60 Minutes:
Is it over already? Maybe I’ll just ride a bit further, or maybe save some energy so I can do this again tomorrow.
Now throw in a couple of fun down hills to gain some speed, a few awesome climbs to get the heart rate up, some exhilarating technical sections to pump the addrenalin and all on some of the best trails in B.C.; how can this not be great for your mind and body.
We don’t need to ride all day. Just find an hour somewhere and grab your bike, it will make you healthier and happier, but be careful you just might never stop...
I’m James Durand and I’m Goin’ Ridin’…