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Interviewer: Cycling is a versatile and accessible form of exercise that can offer numerous health benefits and may serve as an excellent option for people undergoing physical rehabilitation. Today, we're going to be talking more about how cycling might be the perfect addition to your fitness routine.
Joining us today is Ned Dowling, a physical therapist with the Cyclist's Clinic at University of Utah Orthopedics Center at University of Utah Health. Ned, now to start, just kind of with the very, very basics, what are some of the health benefits people can expect if they start to get into cycling?
Health Benefits of Cycling
Ned: Probably the number one thing is aerobic capacity, so your cardiovascular engine basically, how the heart and the lungs work to get oxygen to all of your muscles. And that has effects in terms of lowering blood pressure, helping with diabetes, and improving your immune system. The list of benefits from aerobic exercise is pretty lengthy and all pretty well supported by research.
The second thing I would say is some muscular strength, at least in the legs. Pushing on the pedals repeatedly is going to build some muscle strength. Riding a bike is generally done outside. Although inside, especially with the Peloton craze, makes it a bit more accessible. But I would argue that the mental health aspect of getting outside, getting some fresh air, or even just working up a sweat inside can help decrease stress and depression. The mental health aspects are pretty lengthy with exercise as well.
Recommended Cycling Duration
Interviewer: How much cycling does someone need to do to start to see some of these health benefits?
Ned: I would venture to guess that if you could be on a bike for 20 minutes inside or 45 minutes outside, ooh, 3 times a week maybe . . .
Interviewer: Okay.
Ned: . . . you would start to see some good benefits. And I say shorter time inside versus outside because outside the terrain is probably going to include some coasting where you're not actively peddling. So you really don't need to be on the bike for quite as long inside to get as much benefit.
Cycling as a Rehabilitation Tool
Interviewer: Wow. So there are a lot of potential health benefits to cycling. But when it comes to rehabilitation, when someone has maybe gone through an injury or is trying to overcome a musculoskeletal issue, is cycling a good avenue for physical activity for those types of people?
Ned: Frequently yes. The way I frame the injury or symptoms that bring everybody into the physical therapy clinic is that the load that's placed on the body is overwhelming the body's ability to tolerate load. So we want to balance that equation through traditional physical therapy, which is a lot of times exercises aimed at strengthening or stabilizing. We're working on the side of improving the body's ability to tolerate load.
On the other side, we can try to mitigate the load that's placed on the body in the first place, and that's where often we get patients who are sent over by a doctor, not to throw them under the bus, who tells the patient, "Oh, don't do that. It hurts, so don't run. It hurts, so don't hike. Why don't you get on a bike or go swimming instead?" And they're making that recommendation in good faith because they recognize that cycling or swimming generally less load through the joints than something that's a much more weight-bearing or impacting exercise, like running or hiking that involves steep downhills.
So that's where getting on the bike we have loaded in that we still have to push on the pedals to make the bike go, but we can choose our terrain so that maybe we're not riding up a steep hill. We're more on flat terrain, so it doesn't require as much force on the pedals, which are then loaded through the system. So we can moderate load better on a bike, I would argue, than with something like running.
Starting Your Cycling Journey
Interviewer: All right. So it sounds like there are a lot of different elements as to whether or not cycling is for you. But there are a lot of potential health benefits that can come from an activity like this. Now if someone out there is listening and is maybe say cycling curious, what is a good place to start that discussion as to whether or not this type of activity would be good for them?
Ned: Probably if it's somebody who's already involved in physical therapy care, their physical therapist, I would argue, is the best place to start. Second, that might be their primary care provider just to be aware of other medical issues that might be potentially problematic, whether that's a cardiac issue or control of blood sugar. Those would be the safe places to start. The internet would be the scary place to start. And beyond that, checking in with a local bike shop. There are often clubs that organize bike rides. Local bike shops can be a great source of information. The employees tend to be trained pretty well, and all tend to be cyclists themselves. So those would be probably the top places to start.
Interviewer: Wow. I mean, I have some family members that are into riding as well. It's a whole bunch of fun. And those bike shops are also a great place to maybe find other people, right?
Ned: Yes. I think riding can be a lot of fun with other people, especially on the road where you get the opportunity to draft behind people and not have to work nearly as hard. You can pretend to be a pro cyclist in the Tour de France or the upcoming Olympics. And the group ride, it's a fun way to get out there and enjoy time on your bike.
