Regular cycling will help strengthen your cardiovascular system and lungs, decreasing your risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke. It can also help lower blood pressure and ward off depression, high cholesterol and metabolic syndrome. Plus, it's a low-impact exercise, meaning it's gentle on your joints, especially the knees. Another benefit of cycling is that it helps to improve your balance, which is required to keep the bike upright while you pedal.
Balance
As you ride a bike, you must constantly work to keep your bike and your body balanced and upright. As you pedal, your core engages, working with the legs and upper back to maintain and improve your balance on the bike. Your balance will help determine how comfortable you are on the bike and how efficient your pedal stroke is. Good balance keeps you from weaving across the road, which is a potential hazard in traffic, and allows you to bunny hop an obstacle or steer the bike with no hands.
Importance
Developing good balance will help reduce your risk of injury from falling, especially important for seniors. A 2006 preliminary study published in "Clinical Rehabilitation" reported that stroke patients improved their motor and balance skills through cycling exercises. Good balance is also essential for many sports and other physical activities, as it helps to prevent common sports injuries such as ankle sprains and ACL tears. A 2006 study published in the "Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association" found that balance training decreased the risk of an ACL injury in college students with no previous ACL tears. Greater balance also means greater muscle power and control, which is required for exercises like yoga, Pilates, ballet and martial arts.
Improve Balance
You can improve your balance as you ride your bike. Shift your weight around as you ride to feel how your balance is thrown by simple movements, then pedal very slowly. Stop and coast at a very slow speed as you shift your body in order to stay upright. Try going even slower and moving around obstacles as your balance improves. If one leg is stronger than the other, this can weaken your balance. Work to isolate and train the weaker leg. You can do this by strengthening your weaker hamstring and stretching the quad. This will help keep your hips in balance for a more productive and powerful pedal stroke.
Trackstand
When you see a cyclist that appears to be standing still at a stoplight, but doesn't have his foot on the ground, he is performing a trackstand. A trackstand is all about good balance. When you first practice, use flat pedals, as you'll want to put your foot down at the last minute to maintain balance and practice on a slight incline, says Bicycling.com. Brake as you shift your body weight to remain upright. If you feel like you're about to fall over, release the brakes and pedal slowly uphill until you find your balance once again.
References
- "PT Journal"; Is there evidence that proprioception or balance training can prevent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in athletes without previous ACL injury; Jessica L Owen, BSc, et al.; Oct. 2006
- "Clinical Rehabilitation"; The influence of early cycling training on balance in stroke patients at the subacute stage. Results of a preliminary trial; Katz-Leurer M, et al.; May 2006
- Bicycling; Basics of Better Balance; Brian Fiske
- British Cycling: Wise Words Cycling and Health
- Bicycling; Track Stand; Lee McCormack
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