Remember that fluid feeling of freedom that bicycling brought you as a kid? You could glide through the neighborhood with little effort. Breezes tussled your hair as the road rolled beneath your wheels. Those were the days.
RECLAIM YOUR WHEELS
If you’re like Lynda Warner of Mayfield Heights, bicycling faded from life when the demands of parenthood and career took over. Now 73, she recalls, “It wasn’t until 20 years ago — when I was in my 50s — that a friend/bike shop owner encouraged me to again become a bicycle owner. From then until now, my cycling time has increased each year, and I don’t see it stopping any time soon.
“More than anything else, bicycling gives me a feeling of well-being and joy. I have read many articles and firsthand accounts about the physical benefits it offers. Mentally, too, it’s uplifting to the mind and spirit. ‘Happiness endorphins’ can be created by walking, running, and any number of other physical activities, but personally, none of them compare to the ones created by bicycling. It’s like flying on the ground,” Warner says.
Fitness experts agree. Bicycling is a good exercise as we age because of its light impact on your frame, especially knees. It helps strengthen muscles around the knee, stabilizing the joint and minimizing pain. Bicycling may put stress on shoulders and back muscles, but if you work on core strength, this should be minimal.
OLD? OUT OF SHAPE? NO PROBLEM.
Even if you’ve been inactive and are advanced in years, bicycling can increase breathing capacity, muscle strength and muscle mass. According to a study published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, formerly inactive seniors ages 70 to 80 enjoyed these measurable benefits after training three times a week for 30 to 45 minutes per session over a four-month period. Biking for as little as five minutes a day can help control weight. Incidentally, study participants lost all their health gains after returning to a sedentary lifestyle.
It pays to stay active as we age, and bicycling may be your best bet because it improves cardiovascular health, balance, muscular strength and mass, and relieves joint pain.
MIND, MOOD BENEFITS
Regular exercise such as bicycling lifts depression and anxiety even better than prescription medicine over time. Exercise can improve your sense of well-being, lifting depression, anxiety and ADHD. It also relieves stress, improves memory and concentration, increases energy and helps you sleep better at night, so your overall mood and outlook on life improve, according to HelpGuide, a nonprofit mental health publication.
How can exercise accomplish all of this? It increases blood flow (and oxygen) to the brain, which leads to neural growth, reduced inflammation and new brain activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being. Exercise releases endorphins — powerful brain chemicals — which energize your spirits, lifting you out of the cycle of negative thinking.
Remember to build up to any new exercise program slowly, after first conferring with you doctor. Fitness experts recommend 150 minutes of aerobic exercise weekly, especially if you’ve been inactive or have a chronic health condition.
ALWAYS TIME FOR A RIDE
Warner loves cycling so much, she fits rides into most fair-weather days.
“I usually ride three to five days per week, going 20 to 30 miles (at 12 to 16 mph), but I’ll do more or less depending on where and with whom I’m riding,” Warner says.
“I often ride to the nearest Metropark (North Chagrin Reservation) for the volunteer work I do there, for maybe 10 miles round trip. After I go on a long ride, I usually take at least a day off.”
Among other activities, Warner volunteers 100 hours annually monitoring Cleveland Metroparks trails as a Trail Ambassador (both hiking and biking).
Warner has emphatic advice: “For seniors or anyone who would like to get back into biking, you can do it. The basic skill of riding a bike will come back to you quickly.”
Before investing in a bicycle, she suggests borrowing a friend’s or renting one first. The Bike Rack and Cleveland Bike Tours in Cleveland, Akron Bike Center and Blimp City Bike & Hike in Akron, and Century Cycles in Peninsula have rentals — the latter which can be used on the adjacent Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail.
If and when you’re ready to purchase, bypass the big box store and consult with a good bike shop. Experts there will recommend the best bike for you in a price range you can afford. Take your new bike out to a nearby trail — slowly at first — building up to your own pace.
Once you find yourself back in the saddle again, you’ll rediscover the joys and health benefits that only bicycling can bring.
If you want to venture onto the open road on a Saturday or Sunday morning (low traffic times), try the Chagrin River Road, which is 35 mph for cars. It has just enough rolling hills to make it interesting, bucolic scenery and Chagrin Falls as a destination.
Another road ride is Gates Mills Boulevard, which is not highly traveled. With four lanes divided by a center median, it’s almost like having an entire lane for bikes on weekends.
When you’re ready to join a group ride, Lake Metroparks hosts short weekday evening rides as well as many weekend rides that include a SAG (support) van that will make tire changes or small repairs, or can pick you and your bike up if necessary. Sign up online at lakemetroparks.com.
Cleveland Metroparks also hosts three Hike on Bike programs from June through August for experienced riders. Check The Emerald Necklace newsletter or clevelandmetroparks.com for details.
