5 Amazing things that happen when you start cycling.
Many of us are looking for ways to feel better physically and mentally. If you start cycling amazing things will start to happen!
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We’re all looking for that one mythical thing that will dramatically improve our lives but is getting on a bike the [Applause] Answer yeah we could all be doing a little bit more to take care of ourselves at the moment be that looking after our physical or our mental health or both after all without either of those life does become a little challenging particularly at the moment now there are lots of exercises and
Things that you can do but the key to finding lasting and sustainable change is finding something that you really enjoy so cast your mind back to when you were a kid remember that feeling of Fun and Freedom you had when you got on your first bike well you can have that all
Again now it’s pretty much much common knowledge that regular cycling is really good for your physical health particularly your heart health so some studies claim that if you cycle regularly say two or three times a week for at least half an hour or so you can reduce your risk of things like heart
Disease and heart attacks by up to 70% but did you also know that regular cycling can reduce your risk of other diseases as well so things like certain cancer ERS Strokes diabetes and high blood pressure but the benefits don’t just end there regular cycling can also boost your immune system and help you
Sleep better and we all know how good we feel after a good night’s sleep and of course it’s also really well known that cycling can help you improve your overall general fitness and by that I mean your stamina your endurance and your recover recovery and because it is so physical it will help
You to burn calories and if you combine that with a healthy lowfat diet it can help you to lose weight and shed a few kilos now because you are working hard and breathing hard when you’re on the bike it also helps you to improve your lung
Capacity and if you want to improve your posture your balance and your coordination well basically you’re doing that every single time you go out on a ride and if you ride your bike in slightly higher gears you’re also improving your muscle tone so it’s pretty much like going down the gym and
Doing a Workout but of course let’s not forget the mental health benefits which are pretty much as important as the physical health benefits regular cycling can help you to reduce stress reduce anxiety and reduce depression and it can also help you feel far better about yourself by promoting a positive
Self image and that will increase your confidence and your self-esteem and when you’re out pedalling along that gentle onew Rhythm can really help to clear your head and get all of your other problems into some kind of Perspective one unexpected benefit that I personally have found is that cycling really helps me to be a little bit more determined so for example if I’m cycling along and I come to a pretty tough climb I might think well it’s a little bit too tough for me it’s going to be a real
Struggle but all I do is grit my teeth grind away and I somehow get myself to the top it might not be fast it might not be pretty but my sorry ass makes it all the way up and if you do this often enough it’s potentially a fantastic
Motivator for other aspects of your life now many people like to go cycling by themselves but if you want to go out and join a Cycling Club cycling is a fantastic way to be social and to go out and meet new friends and if you’re worried about what you’re going to talk
About well you got a whole load of stuff to talk about right there bikes headwinds tough climbs you name it another really under rated benefit of cycling particularly in this day when we’re all kind of cooped up in the house or we’re cooped up in the office at work
Is just getting yourself out of the house or out of the office and into the Great Outdoors and that way you can enjoy the weather enjoy the nature and just have an absolutely fantastic time and while you’re out there before you know it you’ll be looking for new
Routes to explore so cycling is an absolutely fan fantastic way of discovering new places and new routs not just ones away from home but some that might be right there on your doorstep now if you use your bike for transport you’re also going to get some
Added bonus perks so of course if you swap your car for your bike you are going to save yourself a shedload of money on fuel not to mention the fact that it’s also just going to be better for the planet better better for the environment not sitting there in traffic
Emitting all of those noxious gases into the atmosphere and believe it or not in congested cities getting on a bike is actually the fastest way to go from A to B now I’m not saying that getting on a bike or starting cycling is going to be a single mythical life fix unfortunately
Life doesn’t work like that but what I’m saying is that cycling can be an important part of a much bigger puzzle it’s a fantastic foundation so if you take care of the basics of your physical and your mental health then it does become a little bit easier to be able to
Work on other areas of your life that might need a little bit more attention I know that starting anything new can be pretty scary so if You’ got any Jitters about getting on a bike for the first time or even returning to cycling after a break then I can put all
Of your doubts to rest if you click on the video just here
31 Comments
Well said Leonard!
Great vid, In these dark cold winter months getting out on my bike a couple of times a week really lifts my mood. Some winter sun would be very welcome right now.🥶
I got rid of my car 3 yrs ago now. It’s surprising how much extra money I seemed to have. For the cost of yearly car insurance I can do a week long bike tour in a new country. Plus gas, maintenance, car supplies add up too.
My wife will testify if I don't get out on my bike regularly I'm a right grumpy git. Unfortunately it didn't stop diabetes or high blood pressure but who cares as long as I get out for the ride.
Joining a cycling club will get into a group that have dozens of good routes to group ride on. Last year me and my wife did support for some club rides. She set up a rest stop and I drove SAG. We would go out later and do the routes ourselves.
Well said !
true words! great video, thank you! 🙂
I noticed that blue cap/blue jersey guy again. Helmet refusenik type. Thumbs up to that. As for me, I had to add a bike this year and get more keen on time, miles, and enthusiasm, to up the outlook on leaning up. That it wasn't my first choice for a bike (a road bike) was due to the influence I had from the bike shop in 2017. That guy was all into MTB types. The hybrid displaced the MTB I initially bought, being so much better for street riding. I'd dropped ten pounds six years ago (from a high of 195 lbs.) with what I was doing for cycling eight months a year, dropping it over the winters. Then it seemed that was just it. I just held there within two pounds on average year to year. It seemed within two months of adding utility rides and road biking with a road bike, I'd knocked off a few pounds. By Thanksgiving Day, it was five lbs. less than that and holding. Now two weeks into the new year, I'm 3-4 pounds less than that and holding, which is 173-174. I'd like to get down to high school weight this year, which would be another eight pounds down. I've done that and more since my 40s, so I know I can. That was a more rapid and less understood event then, compared to being more mentally programed now. In my case, it's really from the cycling and not the eating since about the only real things I've cut back on has been pasta dishes and pizza. Two of my very favorite things to have. Otherwise it's eating what I've always eaten and in the same amounts. So it's a little less for the starch week to week, but not as a "diet", just selective thinking. Getting down to normal range BMI at 179 lbs. was a significant mark to hit. That always bugged me a little, being a few pounds past. So L.L. was getting at the benefits in various measures, and this is how that computed for myself, objectively at least in part.
Everything you have said is absolutely spot on! I love it
Excellent motivational commentary. Thanks! I recently lost my Wahoo cycling computer and am thinking of replacing it. You have used a Hammerhead for years now. Are you still happy with it?
A nice bike ride just makes me feel good. Nice job Mr. Lee.
I love Cycling, beer and women.
Hi Leonard. I suspect that I might be able to add another benefit. For the last 15 years or so I've noticed a decline in memory. Its not that I forget, rather that I can't remember. I have catagorised it as "my mind is like a large library but my librarians going sick".
The year before last (2022) I started cycling more again after a while off with last year (2023) being really regular, I rode every day except 5 days off sick and its really pepped up my librarian.
So regular riding, it seems to me, can improve memory and perhaps its beginning to stave off the dreaded Altzhiemer's. That last bit might be optomistic but the first bit is noticeably true. Obviously my morale is up too.
My commute is 50 mins on a bike. Train/walk is 90mins. Car 60 mins+. Oh, car option was never quicker than cycling. Having had the pleasure of driving into London from 40 years ago. Just in case anti-ULEZ nutters watch your channel
Thank You Leonard ….. I've been in a "Cycling" rut for the past few months. I needed this Pep Talk to give me encouragement to get out there and ride my bike.
You perfectly captured the essence and benefits of cycling. I was off the bike for three weeks after my front tire lost a battle with black ice. The effect on me–in a negative way–was massive. I rode 70 K yesterday and already have a better disposition.
I will be 70 on my next birthday. I took up bicycling just over seven years ago.
Following total knee replacement surgery, my doctor told me that I had two options for exercise – swimming or cycling. After capturing a fleeting vision of myself in a Speedo, I went directly to the local bike shop and purchased my Trek.
A sixth amazing thing that emerged for me was finding an all encompassing means of exercise that was great for my titanium knee, the plate and six screws in my right ankle, and my collapsed left ankle.
Not long after jumping on the bike, I came across Jolly Good Velo. Leonard Lee was perfect for me – not young, not anorexic. His deadpan, often edgy sense of humor is bonus to his expert advice.
If you want to give a friend who cycles another amazing thing, share youtube.com/@jollygoodvelo with them.
Great breakdown on the advantages of riding, hope it inspires a lot of people around the world.
Please Please be aware of the FACT that you will "HAVE TO" get your buttocks familiar with the saddle/seat. Please do not go out and do 8…9 miles. Go around the block and put the bike away. Next day…do the same, then do this a few more times. That area of the body has a strange way of telling the brain, "Not Today"…..Do Not be in a hurry. In retrospect. I love Leonard perspective of things.
I"m sold!
Leonard, I have been off the bike for about eight months due to a severe breathing problem after contracting walking pnuemonia and asthma. I am now miraculously back to normal and ready to get back on the bike. I missed it. Thanks for all the motivation and inforative tips you have provided over the years.
I hate the cold weather, so since November I have been on my cycling machine. 30 minutes a day, doing 10 miles every day. I put Indoor Cycling Videos YT on.
Great review Leonard…I’ve been off the bike for about a month due to illness which thankfully I’m nearly over …and I’ve missed going out on the bike so much.👍🏻👍🏻
All true!
You make great videos, friend, all the best for 2024 👌
Keep up the great work👍 Did daily commute for 36 years, never used a car but changed to more fun rides when I retired in 2012. Now approaching 71 and had some Epic fun at home and abroad.😊
Great content Leonard. Really nervous in terms of my bike skills on the really cold days. I but trying to get out there as much as possible.
The compounding effect on your mental and physical health of finding a form of exercise you enjoy can’t be underestimated.
Cycling has a way of pulling you in, it isn’t just the exercise it’s the exploration, the friends, the challenges, geeking out on equipment and just the joy of rolling along feeling like a kid again!
Do you use Zwift,Rouvy or sufferfest in the winter months?
Execellent motivational video. I have type 1 diabetes. Starting road cycling 2 years ago was life changing for me, together with a low carb diet.