New Year, New Challenges!

Looking for a new challenge or a different hobby for this new year? While most people have undoubtably ridden a bike before, and some a tricycle when they were much younger, have you ever considered an adult tricycle?

How tricycles can help you keep fit ...

As the new year rolls around, a lot of people usually set themselves the goal of trying to ‘get fit’ or lose some weight. Cycling, or more specifically tricycling, is proven to improve cardiovascular and aerobic fitness and also increase stamina. You are able to tailor the intensity to suit your capabilities and your fitness goals as cycling can be a relatively low-impact exercise or can be high intensity.

Cycling isn’t just good for cardiovascular fitness, but the resistance of cycling uphill for example, allows you to improve your muscle strength. For those who struggle with mobility it is always great to find other ways to that you are able to build muscle in a way that is suitable to your abilities.

As cycling can be low-impact and doesn’t involve a huge amount of weight bearing it can help improve joint mobility. It can therefore be a great form of exercise for those with joint issues e.g. osteoarthritis, as it places less stress on your joints than more intense forms of exercise.

And help to improve your mental health...

It’s proven that cycling can improve your mood and many cyclists often talk about experiencing some kind of ‘cycling high’ when they’re out on their bike. That’s because cycling isn’t just good for heart health, but also your mental health. Cycling makes your heart pump blood around your body faster, allowing the rapid spread of good endorphins, dopamine, serotonin. Getting outside and the release of these chemical/hormones helps to boost your overall mood and mental health as it alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress.

Cycling can also improve your mental health, as I’m sure we all know that taking part in regular exercise is improves our self-esteem. However, it can be hard to find the motivation, or the energy, to get up and do the exercise. That’s why you should looking into purchasing a trike! Although, cycling is generally a low-impact form of exercise, Jorvik offers pedal or electric bikes so you can choose a trike according to your physical capabilities.

Making sure you’re doing regular exercise, such as cycling, can also help you sleep better. It helps to regulate your circadian rhythms to ensure your physical, mental and behavioural changes sync and follow a 24-hour cycle. More simply, it helps regulate your body so it is in the right state of alertness or sleepiness at the right time to ensure optimal, regenerative sleep.

Regulating your circadian rhythms and stabilising your physical and mental function not only helps improve your quality of sleep, but also improves creativity. Developing this routine for your body has a relaxing effect on the brain allowing it to think more freely and creatively. Do you have a creative job, and could you benefit from this?

Finally, cycling can work as a form of meditation for some people. The physical actions of cycling where you have to concentrate on the movement of your body and the rhythm of your breathing can have a relaxing effect on the brain. In this state, people are able to zone out, clear their mind, forget about their worries and just embrace the moment.

I think we’ve established all the personal benefits cycling can offer us, but cycling is also extremely beneficial for the environment. Cycling rather than driving or taking public transport helps to reduce air pollutants, congestion and noise pollution and can in-turn help boost bio-diversity.