Start Biking and Enjoy…
Whether you decide to cycle outside, inside, or alternate between the two, the truth is that it is an exercise that will strengthen your body and improve your overall health. Particularly when it comes to taking care of your knees and hips—there is just no other activity like this!
Better Joint Mobility
Cycling is especially beneficial for joint health because it is a low-impact exercise on the knees, hips, and ankles. Other common physical activities, like running, while great and chosen by many, create more stress on the joints over time and may worsen arthritis or other conditions.
Improved Cardiovascular Health
If you start a cycling routine, your heart and lung health will drastically improve. Since it boosts stamina and endurance, it will allow you to increase your ability to maintain physical activity. Biking also strengthens your respiratory system and increases lung capacity.
This results in lesser risks of heart and lung diseases, high blood pressure, stroke, etc.
You might enjoy: How Can I Preserve My Knees If I’m a Runner?
Stronger Muscles
Cycling requires effort from all over the body. Your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves will get activated during this activity. As a consequence, stronger muscles give you more stability, reduce the risk of falls, and protect joints.
Better Posture
If you have been looking for a way to correct your posture and manage back pain, biking can be the answer! This exercise requires a special level of body management and balance. While it may not be an obvious benefit from the start, you will notice improvements in your posture and all the effects that come with it.
Enhanced Immune System
As any other physical activity, biking can help you strengthen your immune system and better fight against diseases and/or viruses. When you do sports, you may help your body flush bacteria out of your lungs, improve white blood cell functioning, prevent existing bacteria from growing, and more.
Learn How to Position Your Knee
Pro Tip: Position the bike seat so that when your foot is in the pedal stroke (“the bottom of the stroke”), your knee is slightly bent about 5-10 degrees. Why is this important? You will place much less stress on the front of your knee (the patellofemoral joint) when the quads contract than if your knee were bent at 90 degrees. However, make sure you are not so high that the knee could hyperextend, since it could get injured.
The Importance of Sports in Joint Health
Joints are responsible for what allows us to function and perform our everyday activities: motion. When you do any kind of exercise, you should be aware of your joints in order to take care of them and prevent injuries during your physical activity.
When it comes to your joints, sports will help you:
- Increase muscle support to your joints, especially when engaging in low-impact activities such as cycling, swimming, and walking.
- Reduce stiffness.
- Improve flexibility.
- Enhance bone health.
- And much more.
In the long run (or should we say in the long bike?), your joints will thank you for cycling and pay you back with greater mobility and strength!
Take Care of Your Joints in Georgia
If you suffer from a joint condition or have injured a joint, a specialized doctor can guide you into the best physical activities for your case and help you recover mobility. Depending on your situation, there might be certain exercises that give better results, while others should be avoided.
Dr. Ashford, MD, our head surgeon at Ashford Orthopedics, will take care of you and give you the best treatment for your injury or condition. We offer comprehensive care for different sport-related issues, so you can restore mobility, strength, and go back to doing what you love.
You can call our offices or book an appointment online at any of our two Georgia locations.
