Tag Archives: cycling

Cycling as Medicine

Health & Nutrition, , , , ,

Cycling is healthy, convenient, cheap and also good for the environment.
I cycle often: to the train, the shops and the library, and this way I get my recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise.

Thirty minutes exercise a day is sufficient to stay healthy. It seems little, but yet a lot of people don’t get to it. They are often tempted to take the lift instead of the stairs, the car instead of the bicycle, the TV instead of the ball.

Movement takes care that less fat accumulate in the blood and prevent that HDL Cholesterol start to dominate.
Also the supply of oxygen takes care of better combustion of fat.With bodily exertion our blood starts to run better and waste products are quicker exposed.

Moving also helps in most cases to lower blood pressure, as a result that there will be less pressure on the artery walls. In other words: moving keeps your blood clean and your heart and veins in condition.

Another mechanism that plays a roll in the development of cardiovascular disease is stress.
The body produce hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones take care of uppermost readiness.That is okay for a short period of time, but ongoing stress cause problems.

Chronic stress lead to the same kind of inflammation in the arteries as too much fat.
Activity takes care that we relax physically and spiritually.
The less stress, the better for your heart and veins.

If you think that it is useless to start moving when the process already fully started,
or if the blocking of arteries already caused a heart attack, got it wrong.
Cycling helps instantly, but if the artery walls are already attacked, half an hour cycling a day is not enough. It is better to cycle five to six hours a week vigorously, spread over the week.

People often say that they don’t have time to sport one hour a day.But what is one hour? If you build-in cycling in your daily schedule, is it a no brainer.

Make a record of all your activities during the week. Do you have to go by car to work,to the shop, or the cinema or can you take the bike as well? Could you bring the children to school on the bike? Could you take the stairs instead of the lift? People often think that cycling cost time, but is that really so? When you cycle, you get fitter physically and mentally.

When you are fitter, you can do more in your day and you can do more things.
Just start and see where your ship strand. There are plenty of changes to unhook.
To persevere is a much greater adventure!

Through the years we have arranged our environment very unhealthy. How can we bend the trend and tempt people to start moving?

I recommend cycling whole-hearted as a dope for life: to promote performance, a habit-forming drug, delicious! And you can get it everywhere without a recipe.
Free of charge!

Cycling prevent depression

Health & Nutrition, , ,

An active body prevent degeneration of the brain and effect your emotions.
Depression is a state of mind involving different organisms in the brain,
like the amygdala,(fear & aggression) and the hypocampus (memory).

They are in  turn connected with the brain cortex. The different parts of
the brain communicate with each other by means of electrical waves and
neuro-transmitters, chemical substances.Those combinations determine
what you can do, what you feel and what you think.

Anti-depressants intervene with neuro-transmitters, like serotonine.
Serotonine influence your mood, self confidence and appetite.
A deficiency of these neuro-transmitters could lead to feelings of depression,
but this theory is not proved.

The tendency is to ascribe depression to a combination of genetic factors,
processes which are happening in the cortex.
The upper layer, which is involved in  perceptions of the senses, movement
and reasoning, and the neuro-transmitters.

Hypogondria and lack of interest and pleasure could be signs of depression.
If these mood disturbances happens with a lack of appetite, insomnia, fatique,
lack of concentration, feeling of impotence or fear, restless, crying, worrying,
repeating thoughts of dead or suicide, etc., there is a common ground for
real depression. One out of seven people encounter feelings of depression
in their lives.

Your brain determines how you treat your environment, but the opposite is
also true: your environment forms your brain.
The good news is that we can do something about the loss of brain cells,
when we get older.Our brain has a high level of plasticity, in other words,
our brain is mouldable. It adjust itself to the demands.

The structure of your brain is determined by what you do.
They researched the brain structure of London Taxi drivers. They have to know
the complete plan of London. This effects the hypocampus of the brain,
an important part of the brain that takes care of the data input and of
spacial observation. With London taxi drivers this part of the brain appears
to be bigger than with normal London drivers. It even grows through the years.

Besides structure you can also influence communication between different
parts of the brain. According to research, different parts of the brain
before and after cognitive behaviour therapy are changed.
Apparently, you can change your emotions, behaviour and your thoughts.

Movement plays an important role. Movement produce substances that stimulate
the plasticity of the brain. How this works is unknown.
But we know that movement works protective.
Rats who move a lot, for example, have more connections between cells
in the hypocampus, the part of the brain that is enlarged with the
London taxi drivers.

We also know that movement counter act degeneration of getting older.
You keep your memory in good condition and you can plan better.
We also know that movement helps to reduce stress.
Long lasting stress damage the hypocampus.

From research we know that by practicing weight-and condition training
for half a year, the results are excellent.
This means: when you start moving now, you immediately make progress.
It doesn’t matter, whether you have been practicing sport before or not.

Movement also influence moods your brain produce.
Well known is the runner’s high with runners.
Running produce neuro-transmitters,like endorfines.Endorfines surpress pain.
Pleasant side effects are feelings of happiness, or even a feeling of euphoria.

Running is a well-known therapy for people suffering from depression.
Stiff cycling has the same effect: cycling relaxes and the fresh air also
takes part in it. The surroundings influence via our senses our state of mind.
When you cycle, they al get a change. Wind cleans our brain.

Cycling as medicine

Health & Nutrition, ,

Cycling is healthy, convenient, cheap and also good for the environment.
I cycle often: to the train, the shops and the library, and this way I get my recommended
30 minutes of daily exercise.

Thirty minutes exercise a day is sufficient to stay healthy. It seems little, but yet a lot of
people don’t get to it. They are often tempted to take the lift instead of the stairs,
the car instead of the bicycle, the TV instead of the ball.

Movement takes care that less fat accumulate in the blood and prevent that HDL start to dominate.
Also the supply of oxygen takes care of better combustion of fat.With bodily exertion our blood starts to run better and waste products are quicker exposed.

Moving also helps in most cases to lower blood pressure, as a result that there will be less
pressure on the artery walls. In other words: moving keeps your blood clean and your heart and veins in condition.

Another mechanism that plays a roll in the development of cardiovascular disease is stress.
The body produce hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones take care of uppermost readiness.That is okay for a short period of time, but ongoing stress cause problems.

Chronic stress lead to the same kind of inflammation in the arteries as too much fat.
Activity takes care that we relax physically and spiritually.
The less stress, the better for your heart and veins.

If you think that it is useless to start moving when the process already fully started,
or if the blocking of arteries allready caused a heart attack, got it wrong.
Cycling helps instantly, but if the artery walls are already attacked, half an hour cycling
a day is not enough. It is better to cycle five to six hours a week vigorously, spread over
the week.

People often say that they don’t have time to sport one hour a day.But what is one hour?
If you build-in cycling in your daily schedule, is it a no brainer.

Make a record of all your activities during the week. Do you have to go by car to work,to the shop, or the cinema or can you take the bike as well? Could you bring the children to school on the bike? Could you take the stairs instead of the lift? People often think that cycling cost time, but is that really so? When you cycle, you get fitter physically and mentally.
When you are fitter, you can  do more in your day and you can do more things.
Just start and see where your ship strand. There are plenty of changes to unhook.
To persevere is a much greater advanture!

Through the years we have arranged our environment very unhealthy. How can we bend the trend and tempt people to start moving?

I recommend cycling whole-hearted as a dope for life: to promote performance, a habit-forming drug delicious! And you can get it everywhere without a recipe. Free of charge!