Exercise is rarely a bad thing. Get active, stay active and you’ll reap plenty of rewards. But some activities might lead to issues down the line. For example, running flat out week in and week out has been shown to put strain on your joints. And, in extreme cases, runners can develop something known as patellofemoral pain syndrome (or “runner’s knee”) which is pain at the front of the knee. Trust us, it’s agony.
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However, you can mitigate this running low by warming up properly before laps, taking time to cool down after your sessions and adding on distance incrementally. (A cushioned pair of running shoes may also help absorb the impact.)
Ultimately, the benefits of running still far outweigh the cons. But what if we told you there was a form of cardio that won’t just keep your knees in good nick but could also prevent knee pain down the line. Let’s step into the saddle.
New Study Reveals: Cycling Can Prevent Joint Pain
As you get older, your joint movement becomes less flexible. Why? The lubricating fluid around these joints that keeps you limber decreases as your cartilage becomes thinner. It’s an unfortunate side effect of ageing, but your fate isn’t set in stone.
The right workouts can help slow this process, ensuring you’re a well-oiled machine deep into your Golden Years and beyond. And recent research has revealed that cycling may be one of the best ways to dodge pain as you age.
The research, which was published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, combed through data from a 14-year study of knee osteoarthritis. They looked at more than 2 600 participants who provided info on how often they cycled, their knee pain levels and radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis.
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The results: regular riders had a lower prevalence of frequent knee pain than those who weren’t clocking in sessions in the saddle. They also were less likely to show evidence of knee osteoarthritis.
According to the authors, cycling may be a powerful prevention method if you’re concerned about joint pain in your later years. They also suggested that you’ll benefit most by starting as early as possible as the longer you’ve been stringing together regular rides, the less likely you will be to experience frequent knee pain.
3 (More) Pedal-Powered Health Benefits of Cycling
Preventing pain is just one of many reasons to start riding on the reg. Not only can you burn major calories on a lengthy ride, but you can also ward off potential health problems by clocking frequent sessions in the saddle.
1. Cycling Helps Your Heart
Riding is a great cardio workout, so you won’t be surprised to learn that cyclists often have incredibly healthy hearts. Various studies have discovered that hitting the road on your bike on a regular basis could halve your heart disease risk. Best part? You’ll tap into the peak of those benefits by racking up around 32km in a session. Not a problem because even amateur cyclists can hit this milestone in two hours.
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2. Cycling Can Reduce Stress
Feeling overwhelmed? It might be time to hop into the saddle. Research has found that cycling can not only help reduce stress, but may also improve your performance in the office. The researchers looked at the stress levels of those who did and didn’t cycle to work in the mornings and discovered that the riders experienced lower levels of stress than their car-bound counterparts.
3. Cycling Can Build Strength
But make sure to ramp up the intensity. One study found that regular bike training sessions could help spark muscle hypertrophy and increase strength gain. Rather than aiming for long-distance treks, try pedal for shorter sprints at 100% effort. It’s like cycling’s very own version of CrossFit.
