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It’s no secret that cycling often is great for you physically and mentally. One study, particularly of commuters on bicycles, found that cycling to work can reduce the chance of developing heart disease and cancer by 45%. Researchers studied 260,000 people over a five-year period, looking at their health and outcomes. It found that people who cycle to work tend to live longer and have a lower risk of heart disease and cancer.
Although physical activity is not as intense as cycling and commuting on foot, it does not usually cover as much distance as cycling, but the benefits are as great for people walking to or from work as for those cycling, the researchers say. Are there any financial benefits? Aside from the initial cost of the bike, cycling to work is extremely cost efficient! You would have no car repairs, petrol or bus fares to pay. As well as this, if you live in the UK, cycling can also help you save through the government's Cycle to Work scheme. This is a scheme that encourages people to ride more bikes by allowing employers to pay tax - free benefits for their bike safety equipment. Despite all the benefits of cycling to work, many employers do not offer incentives for biking to work, for example by not offering the commuter allowance. Socio-economic benefits of cycling. Riding a bike to work instead of driving helps to improve economic well-being - including that of those around you. Cycling also benefits mothers - with experts saying it helps women give birth more easily, recovers faster and lifts overall mood during pregnancy, with limitations of course. If you are pregnant you should seek advice from a medical professional first. Cycling to school or work can also help improve your environmental health. Studies have also shown that cycling to work increases your cardiovascular fitness by 3-7%. As an added bonus, cycling can also boost metabolism, build muscle and get you off your bike. Cycling literally boosts your life expectancy! Given the above-mentioned health benefits, it should come as no surprise that cycling also increases life expectancy. Cycling just 20 miles a week can cut the risk of heart disease by 50%, according to the British Medical Association. It is said to lower the risk of heart disease by less than exercise. However, the years of life gained annually due to the health benefits of cycling are weighed against the losses from injury and pollution caused by cycling. But on a more positive note, according to a study by the British Medical Association, the years gained per year outweigh the years lost through cycling, injury, pollution, etc. Does cycling provide significant health benefits? The health benefits of cycling are considerable and have been linked to lower blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, cardiovascular benefits for cyclists have been shown to be equally strong, as they are less likely to suffer heart attacks, strokes and heart failure than non-cyclists. After all, cycling is a great source of exercise for the NHS in the UK, which reports that cyclists have the highest levels of physical activity among all groups of people in terms of fitness and fitness. Among the health benefits of regular cycling is the fact that it can improve physical and mental health and reduce the likelihood of many health problems. This is important because it means that even if you don't live close enough to ride the whole route, your health will still benefit because you can cycle part of the day. Mental wellbeing benefits of cycling. Since people generally enjoy cycling more than other forms of exercise, cycling can make it easier to increase the distance over time. Cycling can take you from point A to point B by moving moderately and creating a mental balance. On average, an hour of cycling is about half of the health benefits that most people gain from exercise. If you can't ride for an hour, a 15-minute bike ride a day is a good way to stay healthy. If you cycle to work once a week and then add extra days as your stamina increases, you don't have to worry about the long-term health effects of cycling on your commute. About the Author Prior to becoming an online article writer for Technical Writers, Cooper took the opportunity to explore the digital world with a range of academic and health and safety training courses. His first hand experience within the tech industry, in addition to his degree in English Literature, cemented his career in creating content regarding all things marketing and technology.
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 England’s demise in the Six Nations this year has arguably been just as surprising as Wales’ shock climb to the top of the table. Eddie Jones’ side were the favourites in the 2021 Six Nations Championship odds prior to the start of the tournament, whilst Wales were well and truly written off by almost everybody. However, it has been quite the opposite. England have lost two of their opening three games, suffering defeat to Scotland at Twickenham for the first time in almost 40 years, before losing 40-24 to Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. That victory for Wayne Pivac’s men secured them the Triple Crown, after they stunned both Ireland and Scotland in the first two gameweeks, and Wales are now well on course for a potential Grand Slam title. In hindsight, England’s poor start to the Six Nations shouldn’t have been that much of a shock. Jones’ squad was restricted to just 28 players after the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Premiership clubs agreed to limit his selection in order to reduce the risk of Covid-19 cases, whilst the Australian coach’s rigorous training plan to get his players in tip-top shape was thrown up in the air, as he had to isolate due to one of his staff testing positive for the virus. That aside, the squad’s wealth of Saracens players, which includes the likes of England captain Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, Elliot Daly and several others, hadn’t played a minute of rugby since they beat France to win the inaugural Autumn Nations Cup back in early December. Yet, the Six Nations Betting Tips were still firmly in their favour and few would have predicted such a slump prior to the tournament. However, the defeat to Wales has left England’s defence of their title in tatters and people are starting to question if Jones’ days in charge of the side are numbered. "This team is finished now. There will be a new team made," Jones said when England suffered that 32-12 defeat to South Africa in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final. But that hasn’t always been the case for England in the games that have followed. Yes, Jones has capped 11 new players since that excruciating defeat in Japan. However, 12 of the 15 World Cup final starters lined up against Wales in Cardiff and had the likes of Courtney Lawes and Manu Tuilagi not been carrying knocks, then the Australian could have named his exact World Cup starting XI. In April 2020, Jones claimed that he didn’t think his group of players had ‘another World Cup in them.’ But in the build-up to his team’s next game against France this weekend, he said: “I would say anywhere up to 70 per cent of this squad will go through to the World Cup.” It’s hard to fathom what has changed Jones’ view on his squad. He has gone from writing off the old guard to sticking by them. Maybe it was when they bounced back from the South Africa defeat to win the Six Nations. But there is still no room for newbies a year on, and that was made more than clear in the defeat to Wales. With the World Cup still over two years away, surely now is the time for Jones to start truly integrating those 11 players he capped for the first time after the 2019 World Cup, along with others, rather than bringing 70 percent of the current crop to France, so that England are in the best possible shape heading to the tournament. Just look at Wales, they are coming out of their tough transitional period and thriving, perhaps it’s time England did the same. |
