Cycling Generates Brainpower

alive

Cycling has enormous physical benefits. In a one-hour ride, you can work on strength and endurance, aerobic capacity, balance, and, depending on how many car doors you managed to dodge, agility.

Good for the Brain…
Recent research shows that exercising can increase brainpower by prompting brain cells to multiply, strengthening their connections, and boosting their resilience against damage and disease, especially in older adults. A study published in 2005 reports on older Italian cyclists who, despite their ages, maintain extraordinary activity levels. The study explores “the physical and mental health effects of intensive exercise in older people…and the cultural and social features that support and promote bicycling in Italy.”

…and the Soul
Exercise-generated brainpower is conducive to philosophy and the soul. Cycling in nature provides the sensory impetus. The smells of the area may awaken long-lost memories that can add fuel to thought. Sounds of bugs, birds, and large hairy woodland creatures (whoa!) spark the development of more thought. On a bicycle you can experience every pothole on the trail and every daisy by the roadside. On every ride there is a cacophony of sensory input to spark those new brain cells. Thinking is like an adventure holiday. All you have to do is pedal.

Source: alive magazine

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