Biking has lately been in a great spotlight, really highlighting how the sport, exercise or workout, whichever you prefer has quite a few fans of that are fairly much fanatics. Regardless if you are biking or plan to get into it, maybe even in the office or gym, you have probably heard someone raving about how great biking is as a workout and quite frankly, I would like to throw my hat in. While I do favor running, biking is still another great workout to get your cardio in. To know more how biking can really get your body going, read on and perhaps you’ll start pedaling out in the open road after reading.

It can rejuvenate your body – Research has found that regular biking can really keep you looking younger and helps keep skin looking healthy. Everyone knows that regular exercise can increase the oxygen in your body, more oxygen means that your body can do more of its work, and a workout that will really get your blood flowing is biking, so if you want to keep looking young, bring out that bike.

Get better sleep – Alright, you know how after a workout, you end up getting so tired but that satisfied type of tired? Well biking will do just that. Getting extra exposure to the sun, will get you that extra vitamin d that your body will sorely need and that will help get you nice and tired for a long, and wonderful night’s rest.

Increase brainpower – Research has shown that after a few minutes of biking, people have done 15 percent better in mental tests. So if you are about to take an exam in school or whatever, go on a bike ride going to class, not only will you get your workout in but you’ll have a better chance of scoring a better grade too, I will count that as a double win in my book.

Better health altogether – Well this is a no brainer, but regular exercise will indeed increase your bodily defenses against sicknesses. Biking is a great workout to get your sweat going and by doing it regularly, you can really strengthen your immunity system and get in better shape. Say goodbye to obesity problems and myriad of sicknesses that come with it, and in the end isn’t that what we all want?

Better for the environment – With no carbon footprint to its name, biking can really save the planet if you think about it. Not only does it take less space when parking, it has no carbon emissions as it zooms down the road, plus it helps you lose weight as a workout. Of course it won’t go as fast as a car unless you’re a pro and have the right equipment, weather, incline and open road but pretty much that’s the only negative side effect that I can figure out.

Fighting against cancer – While going to the gym and doing your regular workout is a good way to get in shape and fight against cancer, there have been studies that biking is particularly good at keeping your cells strong and able to fight off cancer. In fact in this study, women who go biking bring reduces the risk of breast cancer by 34% which is pretty darn good to me.

Great for some family time – Regardless if it’s a workout or just for fun, biking can really be a good way to spend some family time together. Kids can bring their own bikes and ride along their parents, or for the younger ones, there are a ton of equipment available in the market that will not only let them join you, but get a front seat to an exciting and very relaxing sport or workout.

Biking not only is good for our body physically, but for our mind as well. Also a good way to bond with family and meet new friends.

A little friendlier on your wallet – While some of the biking equipment can go from very reasonable to is-that-really-the-cost-for-a-bike without a motor, it can be very affordable if done right. And honestly as opposed to a monthly gym membership, the cost is usually rather upfront with minor maintenance tweaks here and there, if you use it for your regular weekly workout and for a few years, it will end up being cheaper in the long run. Of course if you go nuts on the biking expenses, well that is a different story altogether but hey, if you control it right, you should have a rather affordable and exciting workout to look forward to.

Keep your joints in better shape – Again while running is one of my favorite workout plan, biking provides less impact on your muscles such as the knees, ankles, and legs. Of course there are ways to lessen the impact of running in general but being comparative with both workout ideas, biking does seem less painful in the long run.

Burn more calories and fats – As a workout, cardio is an ideal way to lose weight, this works by burning calories and fats, so biking will really work it’s way up to getting you lean and mean. This works not during the exercise itself, but you will burn quite a bit then already, but research has shown that after the workout, you end up burning calories 30 minutes after biking, maybe you burn even more calories as research shows.

Become happier – As most people have discovered, a regular workout and exercise is a great way to increase your endorphins. Endorphins are the hormones released when your body goes through exercise and it gives off a very relaxing and happy feeling, actually it can be compared to morphine as they say. As a lot of people know there is this thing known as a ‘runners high’ and something very similar can happen while you are biking, this legal ‘high’ as you will is something that can get very addictive to a lot of people, but in a good sort of addiction, can’t believe I actually said that line but it is what it is. With regular exercise, your body will continue to release endorphins and you will be happier in the long run.

Find some new friends – Just like I mentioned earlier, there are quite a few fanatics out there and they make wonderful biking friends. There are a ton of groups out there who welcome anyone to join their workout, they enjoy going on the ride with veterans and beginners alike, in fact they are more than happy to welcome newbie’s and teach them the ropes, maybe impart some knowledge and some tips trust me they will enjoy having you join their little or in some cases huge groups.

And now there we have it, some very compelling reasons as to why biking will help you out, there are a ton of other reasons but I figured this is plenty to take in already. I really believe that biking is a great workout and most people should try it, but I understand there are reasons why they would avoid it, maybe they don’t know how to ride a bike or they are a little apprehensive of the equipment cost, either or, I do advise that you find a way to try it out if even for a little while. Stay healthy!