Bicycles are part of many people's daily lives and are a key element in mobility in both large cities and small rural towns. There are those who use it to go to work, run household errands, or attend classes at high school or university. The motivations can be very varied, from contributing that personal grain of sand to sustainability and respect for the environment, to a question of economic conditions or even as a method of exercising daily. Be that as it may, all these people have something in common: enjoying all the benefits of traveling by bicycle.
Although those related to the health of the body may be the most obvious, the truth is that the great positive impact that riding a bicycle has on mental and emotional well-being tends to be undervalued.
Physical activity contributes to improving mental health at any age, something on which science unanimously agrees. And the bicycle is one of the most recommended for this purpose, as specified by certain research. This is because cognitive functioning improves and increases, since it favors the ability to concentrate and pay attention, optimize decision making and problem solving, memory or learning. Ideal for children and young people. However, this way also prevents cognitive deterioration, which is why it is also recommended for older people.
Riding a bicycle brings great benefits to people's emotional health, such as improved self-esteem and self-confidence. This activity helps release endorphins, the so-called happiness hormone, so that it will promote a positive mood and the experience of pleasant and optimistic sensations and emotions. Another key point is that it helps you fall asleep and enjoy a better rest, so stress or anxiety will be reduced.
For her part, sports psychologist Manuela Rodríguez Marote adds that cycling favors socialization, since it reduces aggression and anxiety. And this is highly beneficial when it comes to establishing and developing social relationships with other people.
All this will make people who ride bicycles regularly perceive how different aspects of their lives are being favored. Both from a work or academic point of view, with better results and greater productivity, to well-being with oneself and social exchange with individuals in the environment.
