If you’re looking for a way to stay active and healthy, then you may not have to look further than outside your front door. Mountain biking is a great activity for everyone whether you are a health nut or just starting out. Here are the top 5 reasons that you should get out there and start mountain biking today.
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Mountain Biking keeps your heart healthy and happy
This may seem like an obvious one to some of you but it’s absolutely worth mentioning because it is one of the most important reasons to take up mountain biking today. With heart disease on the rise, finding different ways to improve cardiovascular strength is extremely important. An experiment done by the British Medical Association with 10,000 participants found that those who biked at least 20 miles a week decreased their risk of having coronary heart disease by up to 50%!
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Build, Strengthen, and Tone
This one too may seem obvious to some people but what many don’t realize is that by increasing your muscle mass or toning your body, you’re also protecting your joints. As we get older, we need to be sure to maintain muscle mass not only so we can continue our normal daily activities but also to ensure that our joints are protected. By increasing or maintaining muscle mass we protect our hip and knee joints that often fall victim to injury. Mountain Biking also results in a decreased risk of osteoporosis and arthritis.
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Reduces stress and depression
By getting on the bike for even as little as 20-30 minutes a day can stave off feelings of depression, anxiety, and reduce stress. When we exercise, our bodies release endorphins which triggers euphoria and gives the biker a feeling of a natural high. Not only does mountain biking make you feel better throughout the rest of your day, it also helps you have a deeper, more restful sleep at night. Pretty hard to be stressed or depressed when you have extra endorphins running through you and a night of deep sleep.
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Fountain of Youth
A study done at Harvard University found that cycling regularly can help to protect your skin from damaging UV rays which in turn reduces sun related signs of aging. Staying active by mountain biking also increases your blood flow, which delivers more oxygen and nutrients to your body and helps to flush out toxins as well. Who doesn’t want to look young forever?
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Get in quality time with loved ones (or get some much-needed time alone)
One of the best parts of getting out and mountain biking is that it’s easily an activity that can be enjoyed by the entire family, with a group of your best friends, or as an activity to escape for a while and enjoy some alone time. For the social bikers, check in your area. There are often groups of all skill levels that meet up weekly to go for rides. It’s a great way to bond with loved ones, meet new people, or to clear your head. So what are you waiting for? Get out your mountain bike and hit the path today!
