Health Facts

• Cycling at five miles per hour burns around 175 calories per hour. Up the pace to 13 miles per hour and the calorie burn rate climbs to more than 600 per hour.
• Exercising is a “virtuous circle”. As you become fitter, fat turns to muscle, which in turn burns 10 per cent more calories than fat.
• Almost three quarters of car journeys are less than five miles – just the right distance for a bike ride. Biking to the post office could save pounds in your wallet as well as losing pounds from your waist!
• It’s not just your health that’s at stake. The environment is suffering from the over-use of cars, so the planet will also thank you for using two wheels more frequently.
• Regular exercise keeps your heart healthy and reduces health risks including high blood pressure. A major study of more than 10,000 people found that cycling at least 20 miles a week halved the risk of heart problems.
• Why do people drive to the local shop during the day and then pay to use an exercise bike at the gym in the evening?
• Cycling is great exercise for people of all abilities. Recumbent bikes are great for people who have a problem with some joints or for those who find cycling puts a strain on their spine or neck. They allow you to recline instead of sitting high up and leaning forwards.
• Being inactive has been shown to dramatically increase your chance of suffering from one of the UK’s biggest killer diseases in later life - coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and cancer of the colon.
• Studies also seem to show that exercising regularly helps to cut stress, anxiety and depression, so it’s no surprise that the British Medical Association is among those who agree that cycling is good for you.

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