Riding a Bike is Good for You
The Benefits of Cycling
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First published: 21. Jan.2025
Overview
Riding a bicycle for recreation, or commuting to work is a low-impact activity. It contributes towards the recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity and has many health benefits.
It has heart and cancer-protective effects, it uplifts your mood, helps keep you slim, and reduces the risk of dying early. It also entails the risk of injury and accident, as well as lower back pain, knee pain, and decreased bone density. These can be offset by safe practices and tecniques.
This article explores the benefits, and risks of cycling.
References and Further Reading
(1) Leyland LA, Spencer B, Beale N, Jones T, van Reekum CM., (2019). The effect of cycling on cognitive function and well-being in older adults. PLoS One. 2019 Feb 20;14(2):e0211779. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211779. PMID: 30785893;
(2) Andersen LB, Schnohr P, Schroll M, Hein HO., (2000). All-cause mortality associated with physical activity during leisure time, work, sports, and cycling to work. Arch Intern Med. 2000; 160(11): 1621-1628. doi:10.1001/archinte.160.11.1621
(3) Oja P, Titze S, Bauman A, de Geus B, Krenn P, Reger-Nash B, Kohlberger T., (2011). Health benefits of cycling: a systematic review. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2011 Aug;21(4):496-509. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0838.2011.01299.x. Epub 2011 Apr 18. PMID: 21496106
(4) Anders Grøntved, Robert W. Koivula, Patrik Wennberg, Lars Østergaard, Göran Hallmans, Frida Renström, and Paul W. Franks, (2016). Bicycling to Work and Primordial Prevention of Cardiovascular Risk: A Cohort Study Among Swedish Men and Women . Journal of the American Heart Association Vol 5, No. 11 https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.116.00441
(5) Nordengen S, Andersen LB, Solbraa AK, Riiser A., (2019). Cycling is associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases and death: Part 1 - systematic review of cohort studies with meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2019 Jul;53(14):870-878. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099099. Epub 2019 May 31. PMID: 31151937
(6) Nordengen S, Andersen LB, Solbraa AK, Riiser A., (2019). Cycling and cardiovascular disease risk factors including body composition, blood lipids and cardiorespiratory fitness analysed as continuous variables: Part 2-systematic review with meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2019 Jul;53(14):879-885. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099778. Epub 2019 May 31. PMID: 31151938
(7) Battista, S., Sansone, L.G. & Testa, M., (2021). Prevalence, Characteristics, Association Factors of and Management Strategies for Low Back Pain Among Italian Amateur Cyclists: an Observational Cross-Sectional Study. Sports Med - Open 7, 78 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-021-00370-2
(8) Natasha C. Pocovi, Tarcisio F. de Campos, Chung-Wei Christine Lin, Dafna Merom, Anne Tiedemann, and Mark J. Hancock, (2022). Walking, Cycling, and Swimming for Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy 2022 52:2, 85-99
(9)(9) Heijnen S, Hommel B, Kibele A, Colzato LS., (2016). Neuromodulation of Aerobic Exercise-A Review. Front Psychol. 2016 Jan 7;6:1890. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01890. PMID: 26779053
(10) Charytoniuk T, Zywno H, Konstantynowicz-Nowicka K, Berk K, Bzdega W, Chabowski A., (2020). Can Physical Activity Support the Endocannabinoid System in the Preventive and Therapeutic Approach to Neurological Disorders?. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jun 13;21(12):4221. doi: 10.3390/ijms21124221. PMID: 32545780
(11) Scherma M, Masia P, Satta V, Fratta W, Fadda P, Tanda G., (2019). Brain activity of anandamide: a rewarding bliss?. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2019 Mar;40(3):309-323. doi: 10.1038/s41401-018-0075-x. Epub 2018 Jul 26. PMID: 30050084
(12) Lo GH, Richard MJ, et al., (2024). Bicycling over a Lifetime Is Associated with Less Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2024 Sep 1;56(9):1678-1684. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003449. Epub 2024 Apr 11. PMID: 38600648
(13) Carter MI, Hinton PS., (2014). Physical activity and bone health. Missouri Medicine. 2014 Jan-Feb;111(1):59-64. PMID: 24645301; PMCID: PMC6179512
(14) Olmedillas, H., González-Agüero, A., Moreno, L.A. et al, (2012). Cycling and bone health: a systematic review. BMC Med 10, 168 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-10-168
(15) Priego Quesada JI, Kerr ZY, Bertucci WM, Carpes FP, (2019). A retrospective international study on factors associated with injury, discomfort and pain perception among cyclists. PLoS ONE 14(1): e0211197. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211197
(16) Johnson CA, Newton WN, LaRochelle L, Daly CA., (2022). National incidence and trends of bicycle injury. J Orthop Res. 2023 Jul;41(7):1464-1470. doi: 10.1002/jor.25489. Epub 2022 Dec 21. PMID: 36541024
About this Article
Riding a Bike is Good for You, A. Whittall
©2025 Fit-and-Well.com. First Published: 21.Jan.2025. Update scheduled for 21.Jan.2028. https://www.fit-and-well.com/fitness/cycling-healthy-exercise.html
Tags: cycling, mood, heart, cancer, mortality, bone, knee, weight loss, outdoors, back, risks, joints