Health Maintenance For Senior Cyclists: Preventing Muscle Fatigue And Joint Strain

   Cycling is a form of exercise which is enjoyed by people all over the world. People of all ages can do cycling. This form of exercise is very much beneficial for health, especially for seniors. It helps to improve cardiovascular activity.

Although aging is usually associated with decline in physical and mental health, studies have found that exercises like cycling can slow and even reverse some of effects. In this article, we are going to discuss about some of the major benefits of cycling for senior cyclists.

The advantages of cycling for senior cyclists

There are multiple ways by which senior people can benefit from cycling. Some of them are as follows:

Helps in improving heart health

One of the major benefits of cycling is that it helps to improve the cardiovascular health. It reduces the risks of heart diseases.  Heart is made up of muscles, which requires to be exercised on a daily basis for maintaining its strength as well as optimal function.

Since heart and lungs work together to deliver oxygenated blood to your muscles, any form of exercise which increases your heart rate for some period will help to improve the health of your heart as well as the overall cardiovascular health.

The repetitive motion of cycling is similar to aerobic exercises which increases your heart rate for some period of time. It works as a perfect cardio workout. 

The risks of heart diseases increase as people age. Cycling is a form of low impact aerobic exercise which strengthens the muscles, improves blood circulation and enhances cardiovascular fitness. It reduces the risks of heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure, thus promoting a healthy heart.

Helps in protecting the immune system

As people age, their immune systems become weak naturally and produce fewer T cells. These T cells are very much important for our body as they offer protection against various types of disease causing pathogens.

According to some experts, cycling can keep our immune system strong. If senior people do cycling on a daily basis, their body will increase the production of T cells. In fact the T cells produced by a senior cyclist are equivalent to that of a healthy young adult. 

Cycling helps in developing muscular strength

As people age, their muscles become weak. This can be reversed by cycling. Cycling helps in developing muscular strength. It also increases endurance. Legs are required for cycling. Muscular, strength, power as well as endurance are required for pedaling, especially during cycling on a hilly terrain.

As the legs move, the muscles of the leg become stronger. Not only cycling is beneficial for legs but also for the shoulder and upper back as it strengthens the muscles in these areas also.

Helps in strengthening joints

It is quite common for seniors to experience pain in their joints. This pain is usually associated with arthritis. According to some studies, almost 70 percent of seniors suffer from joint pains. If they do not engage in any kind of physical activity, the situation may get worse.

It is a known fact that sedentary behavior is responsible for knee and other forms of joint pain.

Although it may not seem like a big problem at first, it may result in serious problems later where joint pain can lead to reduced range of motion.

This reduced range of motion can have a significant impact on the balance and coordination of a senior person. It can even affect the ability of the seniors to perform their daily tasks. 

All of these can reduce the quality of life. In such a situation, seniors should indulge in those physical activities which strengthens and stabilizes the joints without hurting them. Cycling is one such activity. 

Cycling is a low impact activity which does not put much stress on the joints. It can be regarded as an excellent option for those people who are suffering from problems related to their joints. It is a form of cardiovascular workout without giving much strain on the knees and ankles.

Helps to improve mental health

As mentioned in the introductory section, mental health starts to decline with age, just like physical health. They can suffer from boredom and loneliness which can result in anxiety and depression. Cycling can be a solution to all these problems.

Cycling outdoors can be refreshing. It will provide the seniors with sunlight and fresh air. Sunlight is a natural source of vitamin D which helps in reducing stress levels. Cycling outside also leads to social interaction which can raise one’s spirit and give a boost to mental health. It will take their mind away from all sorts of worries.

Helps in losing weight

Obesity is a serious problem for the seniors. Since they are no longer as active as they use to be in their younger days, they continue to gain weight. This can lead to various health problems, such as diabetes and heart diseases.

Cycling is an efficient way of losing weight and staying active. When seniors sit on a bicycle and starts pedaling, they burn calories. After developing the required skills for cycling, seniors will be able to cover longer distances, which will help them lose more weight by burning more calories.

How to prevent injuries during cycling?

Cycling is a healthy exercises but it also poses the risks of getting injured. This injury can be detrimental for seniors. In order to avoid such injuries, they should follow proper steps. Some of the steps have been discussed below:

●Do proper warm up: Majority of people do not do any kind of warm up before cycling, they just hop on their cycles and start cycling. This can pose a threat to injury, especially for seniors. A quick warm up will activate the muscles and joints and make them ready for action. This will reduce the chances of getting injured.

●Take appropriate training: As we all know, repeated forceful motions are required during cycling. Cyclists also need to have proper balance and stability to hold themselves on their cycles. The training schedule should be focused on the range of motions on the knees and ankles. Search for different type of training programs and choose the appropriate one.

Cycling is a favorite activity of all people irrespective of their age. It helps the senior people to become active and lead a longer life by preventing various diseases. Some precautions are required during cycling for avoiding injuries.