9 Reasons That Cycling Makes Me Happy
Hey there, remember the good ol’ days of jumping on your bike and cruising around the neighborhood with your friends?
Well, I sure do!
The sound of your playing card hitting against your spokes and the wind in your hair could turn any bad day around. We would bike all day long until the streetlights came on!
I actually forgot about them until I started biking again at 60.
After 40+ years of biking-silence, I picked up the habit again to stay healthy and figured my joy days were behind me. Boy, was I wrong!
The moment I hopped back on my bike, it was like time-traveling to my childhood. I was grinning from ear to ear and reminiscing about the good ole’ days with my friends.
Funny enough, cycling now also makes me happy as an adult.
Even when I’m in a funk, it only takes 15 minutes of pedaling to turn my frown upside down.
So, naturally, I found myself wondering why biking has the superpower to transform frowns into smiles.
I thought to myself, maybe it’s just because biking is FUN, plain and simple! The good news is, there are several reasons why cycling gets you in a good mood.
So let me share a few of the top-secrets on why cycling makes me happy!
1. Decreases Stress
Cycling has been proven to be one of the most effective treatments for relieving stress.
Whether your stress is caused by crazy things going on at home or work it is real and can take a toll on your mind and body.
Bicycling can be helpful if you are depressed, overwhelmed or just stressed out.
Many health care professionals even prescribe exercise therapy such as bike riding as a common treatment for stress and depression.
Whether you are someone who likes to start your day with a morning ride, like I do, or you prefer to ride your bike at midday or in the evening it really doesn’t matter.
It can and most likely will change the way you look at your problems or whatever is on your mind.
I always feel like my head is clearer and have a much more positive attitude. Not to mention the increased energy.
Cycling is certainly a great way to make your body and mind happy and healthy.
2. Finding My Flow
Some people describe flow as the secret to happiness.
Flow state occurs when skill and challenge come together.
It is when you are so engaged on a challenging task such as pedaling, balancing, avoiding obstacles like potholes, storm grates, traffic and other pedestrians. You don’t notice anything else.
Your conscious mind takes a break while your subconscious mind takes over.
You just lose track of time. You are just living in the moment. This brings us to a flow state.
I sometimes find myself riding further and longer than I had planned because I am just so focused on the ride.
It just makes me happy when I go an extra 5-10 miles without even noticing.
3. Meditation Effect
Some people feel that flow and meditation while riding are the same. I personally don’t feel that’s true.
Flow is where you need to stay focused on something. Mediation allows your mind to wander.
Meditation is about letting go and just focusing on your breathing and the movement of the breath.
When thoughts pop up you can just let go of them and gently return to your breath. Just inhaling and exhaling.
You don’t need to sit crosslegged on the floor in a meditation room to meditate – you can just hop on your bike!
I find myself in a meditation state when I’m on a quiet bike path or the good ol’ backroads.
My mind just begins to wander. The thoughts of the day are silenced and I just ride.
This is when I feel the heaviness go away and I just begin to smile.
4. Improves Sleep
Sleep is important for both mental and physical recovery.
Anxiety is one of the leading causes of insomnia.
Cycling naturally releases serotonin in the brain which promotes decreased anxiety and healthy sleep.
Some research has shown that if you frequently skip rides, it can become harder to sleep at night.
As I have gotten older sleep has become more complicated. I just can’t seem to get good sleep sometimes.
So, hopping on my bike routinely and riding helps me sleep better which makes me function better.
How can that not make me happy!
5. No Learning Required
Riding a bike is just natural, anyone can just hop on their bike and ride.
Unless you have balance issues that you need to deal with. But once you figure out how to balance if it is an issue, you will be able to ride.
If you are looking for more information on riding a bike with poor balance or steps to begin cycling – this article may be helpful: Can you Ride a Bike With Poor Balance
As you ride more you will learn more, but you don’t have to have any special skills to get started.
Even if you are going out for 30 minutes you will see the positive effects of the “feel good” chemicals of the brain start to kick in.
This is just another reason that cycling makes me happy!
6. Makes Me See the World Differently
Cycling makes you see things around you differently.
You may be in an area that you are very familiar with, but the sites just seem different.
You’re not rushing by in a car, you have time to slow down and notice more of the sites and “just smell the roses”.
Stopping your bike to just take in a view that you never noticed before is amazing!
I sometimes feel like I’m in a completely different part of the world when I stubble into an area that I have passed a million times before but never really noticed the beauty of it!
Some of the best pictures I’ve taken have been in areas that I never noticed before or never had time to stop at before.
I think everything looks better on two wheels.
7. Meeting Personal Goals
We all need goals in our lives. How do we get to the next level if we don’t have a goal to reach and crush?
Riding a bicycle is no different.
Whether it is to go further or faster or to crush a hill that has been your nemesis. Set it as your personal goal and go after it.
When I reach a goal, I feel so proud of myself, how can crushing a goal not make you happy!
This just makes me want to set another goal – a better goal.
Another one to make me get out there and keep pushing myself to be better than I was yesterday.
8. Physical Benefits/ Getting Healthier
Being healthy just makes you happy.
Cycling can offer several physical benefits such as weight loss, improved cardiovascular health, improved balance and full body and core strengthening.
And did I mention it’s joint friendly.
When I feel good, I can’t help but be happier.
9. BDNF Production
Physical activity including cycling can improve a protein in the brain called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
As we age BDNF levels decrease. When this occurs it can cause a decrease in memory which can male learning new things to become more difficult.
Dementia and Alzheimer patients have been found to have severely lower BDNF.
Decreased BDNF can also increase depression.
Studies have shown that cycling can increase the BDNF in the brain.
When you pedal your bike, you force more nerve cells to fire. It helps to support existing neurons and create new ones.
For me a healthy brain is a happy brain.
Why Cycling Makes Me Happy
Hopping on your bicycle is probably one of the best things that you can do for yourself.
It only takes 30-60 minutes of riding to get the happy vibe going.
So, whether you are riding for fitness or for fun you will reap all of the mental benefits from riding.
Just get out there and ride, you will feel like a kid again!
I guarantee that it will make you smile.