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Cycling and your health
8-minute read
Key facts
- Cycling, also known as bike riding, is a great way to improve your physical and mental health.
- It can help lower your risk of heart disease as well as your stress levels.
- Cycling is suitable for people of almost any age and fitness level.
- It's a cheap and efficient way to get around.
- It's important to follow the road rules and use protective equipment to stay safe when cycling.
What is cycling?
Cycling, also known as bike riding, is a great form of exercise that can improve your mental and physical health.
Riding a bike is an environmentally friendly way to get around, and allows you to enjoy the outdoors.
Bike riding is a great way to travel, especially if you do not have access to a car or cannot drive.
Cycling allows you to avoid high traffic areas. It is often quicker than driving if you are travelling less than 5km.
A bike is much cheaper than a car and cycling to work can save you money on transport costs.
What are the health benefits of cycling?
There are many physical and mental health benefits of cycling.
Regular bike riding helps to lower your risk of heart disease. It also lowers your chance of getting other cardiovascular conditions such as high blood pressure and stroke. This is because cycling makes your heart muscle stronger and lowers your resting heart rate.
Regular exercise, such as cycling, can lower your risk of other diseases including:
Being physically active can lower your risk of being overweight or obese. Cycling regularly is a great way to help you manage your weight.
Cycling is a low-impact exercise. There is less weight on your joints while you cycle than during other sports like running. Bike riding is a good way to exercise if you have a joint condition like osteoarthritis
Bike riding can improve your mental health. It has been shown to:
- decrease stress
- lower your level of anxiety
- improve sleep
- lower your risk of depression
- make you more productive
Cycling causes the release of natural endorphins. These are known as the 'feel-good chemicals' that can help improve your mood.
Who is cycling best suited to?
People of most ages and fitness levels can bike ride, and it's a great way to stay active.
Bike riding can be a fun way for children to stay healthy. Children under the age of 10 years must be supervised when riding, as they may not be aware of hazards.
Staying active as you get older is important.
If you don't feel safe riding on busy roads, find an area that has bike lanes or paths away from cars.
If you don't feel comfortable riding a moving bike, you can cycle on a stationary bike. This can give you many of the physical and mental benefits of cycling in the safety of your home.
Can I cycle while pregnant?
If you are pregnant, you should be cautious about cycling outdoors due to a risk of falling. Instead, you can try cycling on a stationary bike. Riding a stationary bike will provide many of the physical and mental benefits of riding, with less risk of falling.
Is it safe to cycle at night?
While it's generally safe to cycle at night or in low lighting, there are some safety tips you can follow:
- Attach a white light to the front of your bike, and a red light to the back of your bike.
- Make sure you have a red reflector on the back of your bike.
- Wear bright clothing so you are visible.
- Check your brakes and lights are working before you start.
- Before you cycle at night, ride the route in the day so you know the path.
- Cycle in a group for safety.
- Tell someone you are going for a ride and share your route with them.
How do I start cycling safely?
When buying a bike, get it sized by trained staff. You should be able to place your feet flat on the ground when sitting on the bike seat. This is very important for children. Don't buy a bike that is too big for your child so they will use it for longer.
Your bike must have at least one working brake before you ride. Your bike must also have a bell, horn or other type of warning device.
Follow all the cycling road rules. Try to stick to routes that avoid major roads. Look for routes that have bike lanes and bike paths.
Even on a bike path, always watch for hazards like drivers opening their car door. Give way to people walking. Always leave space between yourself, other cyclists and cars
What other equipment do I need for cycling?
As well as your bike, you will need a properly fitted bicycle helmet that meets Australian standards. It's the law to always wear a helmet when riding. This lowers your chance of head and brain injuries if you have an accident.
Wear bright clothing to make sure you are seen by other road users. You should also have lights and a reflector on your bike, especially if you plan to ride at night.
Other equipment includes:
- a water bottle so you can stay hydrated while riding
- sunscreen and a long sleeve top to avoid sunburn
- a small first aid kit in case you or another cyclist has a fall
- a puncture kit
- identification such as your driver's license, in case of an accident
How do I avoid injury while cycling?
You will need outdoor cycling equipment including:
- helmet
- lights
- high-visibility clothing
There are other things you can do to avoid injury, such as:
- wearing riding gloves to help stop chaffing and blisters
- using sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun and dust
- asking a professional to adjust your bike so that it's right for your height
What are common cycling injuries and how do I prevent them?
Knee pain is a common cycling injury and is also known as 'cyclist's knee'. You can adjust your saddle height or get a professional to set up your bike, to help prevent knee pain.
Neck and back pain can occur from sitting in the same position for a long time. You can help avoid this by stretching before each ride. You may also need to adjust your handlebar height so you are not hunched over.
Hip pain can occur from repetitive hip movements or being in a bad position while riding. You can adjust your saddle height to help prevent hip pain. You might also need to do different forms of exercise such as swimming.
When should I see my doctor?
You should see a doctor immediately if you experience an injury from cycling that causes:
- significant bleeding
- numbness
- weakness
- extreme pain
FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.
How are cycling injuries treated?
Mild injuries can be helped with the PEACE method for 1 to 3 days.
- Protection — don't do any activity that causes a medium increase in your pain. Don't stop all activity.
- Elevation — when resting, try to keep the injured area above the level of your heart, to reduce swelling.
- Avoid anti-inflammatories and ice — they may slow down healing.
- Compression — use a bandage to compress the area. The bandage should not be too tight or worn at night.
- Education — listen to your body. Often your body can heal without treatment.
How do I stay motivated while cycling?
Keep up cycling with these tips:
- Make it social by joining a cycling group or riding with a friend.
- Set goals to motivate you to keep going.
- Mix up your routes to keep things interesting.
- Incorporate cycling into your daily routine by riding to work or to meet your friends.
Resources and support
There is a lot of support to help you stay safe and motivated while cycling.
- Find a cycling club near you.
- Make sure your bicycle meets Australian safety standards.
You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.