Cycling not only keeps fit physically, it is also good for our mental health – in many different areas, as studies show. We show why cycling, stress and anger can help.
Cycling has many advantages. You are in the fresh air, at best in nature. In the city you often get to your destination faster than by car, you don’t have to look for a parking space. You save money, protect the environment at the same time and keep physically fit. But did you also know how well cycling can be for our psyche?
For example, racing regularly can help you reduce stress, become more confident or to have fewer fears. At least in five mental problem areas, the state of science can be a good help. Even if you currently feel mentally healthy, cycling can support you to stay, because the positive preventive effect is also well researched.
1. Cycling can help reduce fears and to prevent them
We live in a time of multiple crises that many of us scare. The good news: You can actively do something against this fear. Endurance training such as cycling lowers, according to science, the reactivity of the sympathetic nervous system and, to put it simply against stressors such as fears and Co. It regulates the emissions of stress hormones, which can lead to an increase in fear and panic. Those who cycle regularly can reduce this sensitivity, according to researchers.
In addition, moderate endurance training leads to an increased emissions of happiness hormones such as dopamine. This activation of the reward system in our brain also helps us to feel more balanced and more satisfied.
2. Cycling can help you to recharge your self -confidence
Can you ride a bike, become more confident? At least some studies indicate that. 27 people were recruited for an investigation from 2014. Eleven participants did not change their everyday life, the other 16 practiced 10 endurance training units of at least 30 minutes over a period of three weeks. They could either run, indoor cycling or train on the ellipes coach.
The result: After three weeks, the more active tests gave: Inside the self-esteem test recognized for this, the Rosenberg Self-Stesteem scale (RSES), consistently felt more confident than the control group. Due to the small number of subjects: the scientific meaning of the experiment is limited inside. However, there are other studies that associate physical activity with an increased self -confidence. It is therefore obvious that such an effect occurs even in cycling.
It could have an additional positive effect on self -confidence to ride a bike outside. Because with the bike you can easily and quickly discover new areas, achieve your own goals and gain new impressions – all success experiences that can strengthen our self -confidence.
3. Cycling can reduce stress
A study by the University of Zurich showed that cycling can help relieve stress and increase our well -being. The almost 9,000 respondents stated that when they travel their everyday paths by bike, they feel less stressed. This is mainly due to the fact that cycling helps us to reduce the stress hormone cortisol.
According to the researchers, but also the regular, cyclical pedal movements when cycling. They increase the activity of our parasympathicus and have a soothing effect on our minds. We stay more at the moment, in this case when cycling, less worries and ponder ourselves less.
Of course, this stress reduction works better if you cycle in a relaxed environment – to be traveling to Rush Hour in the big city is less helpful, you’d better choose a nice route in the countryside.
4. Riding a bicycle can help relieve depression
Both the lowering of our cortisol level and the uniform pedal movement when cycling can not only reduce stress, but also help people with depression. This is indicated by a study by the University of Tübingen. In addition, the researchers left older people with depression on an ergometer for a good 30 minutes. Before and after the cycling, the blood values were measured, which play a central role in the development of depression.
While these values of the depressed people were worse than that of healthy comparison persons before the endurance stress, they had normalized with almost all study participants after the 30-minute cycling.
5. Cycling can work against anger
Anger is a destructive feeling – internally and outside – and is not good for our psyche. If we feel it, we need a valve to let it out and thus lower the pressure we feel. Cycling can help us. Because through the movement we break down stress hormones and give our body the chance to actively do something.
Several studies indicate that endurance sports such as cycling can reduce anger feelings. This is how researchers found: Inside, who carried out a study with children, it found that those who made endurance sports 40 minutes per day felt less anger and emaciated than the control groups that trained little or not.
Cycle off the anger – this is not only a good idea for our psyche, it can also protect our heart. Because like scientists: In the inside of the Columbia University in New York City in a study that has just been published, short tantrums can increase the risk of heart disease and strokes. So one more reason to swing on the bike regularly.
Read more on utopia.de:
- When an e-bike is worth it-and when not
- Germany’s most bike -friendly community: What we can learn from it
- Stay mentally fit in old age: “From 30 you should consider three things”
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