We all know that cycling is good for our health and fitness. However, it is also a great way for families to spend time together. There are a plethora of benefits to be found riding bikes both for you and your family, and we have created the following post covering some of them. We’ve also included some useful tips should you decide to invest in bikes for your family.
A Healthier Alternative To Quality Time
In our modern society, when we are not working, at school or commuting, it is easy to fall into the trap of staring at our TV screens or phones. We have so many distractions drawing us away from more beneficial past times. It is estimated that we spend on average 7 hours a day using technology, some may spend far more if they work with computers. Although technology is no doubt useful and helps us in many ways, it is not healthy for us to spend so much of our lives using it. Sometimes we need to switch off, go back to our routes, and spend time in fresh air and green spaces with people we care about. It might take some convincing to get your children to peel themselves away from tablets, TV’s and mobile phones, but once they experience the joys that bike riding can bring, they will no doubt enjoy it.
Physical Health Benefits For All The Family
Cycling has huge benefits for our health, at all stages of life. It strengthens muscles and bones, exercises our cardiovascular systems, and creates new neural pathways in our brains. With Western civilization facing an obesity crisis, we all need to make the effort to get up of the sofa and exercising. So if both adults and children need to be exercising more- why not make it fun?
Mental Health Benefits Of Cycling
As well as the physical health benefits of cycling, it is also great for our mental health. It is not natural or healthy for us to spend all our time indoors, and the effects of things such as long hours spent sat on screens need to be counteracted. Both nature and exercise can help to reduce stress and improve our mental wellbeing, so combining the two can be hugely beneficial for your family’s happiness. If you and your family are stressed and overwhelmed by work and school, getting outside and spending time together creates a space for you all to unwind and forget about the trails and tribulations of everyday life.
Create Memories With Your Family
Whilst bike riding is great for the health of your family, perhaps more importantly it is an opportunity to create precious memories. Most of us will remember learning to ride our first bike, the pride and achievement we feel taking that first ride along without any stabilisers is a core memory. If you invest in a car bike rack, you could even take the bikes out for a day out somewhere, or incorporate into a holiday. You can get years’ worth of enjoyment, family time and memories out of your bikes. Your children won’t remember yet another evening spent watching TV, but they will remember the days outside, seeing new places and building new skills. However, to protect the opportunity to make memories, it is worth insuring your bikes. Before you pick insurance, it’s important you are informed on what to know before insuring a bicycle.
Reduce Your Family’s Carbon Footprint
You could incorporate cycling into your daily commute, as a way to reduce the whole family’s carbon footprint. Not only will cycling to school and work be healthier for your family, it also gives you a way of getting around without contributing carbon dioxide pollution by using your car. Using cycling for your work and school commutes may not be practical for everyone, but even cutting out car trips to the shop or to visit friends helps.
A Learning Opportunity For Children
Learning to ride a bike is a fantastic learning opportunity for children. It teaches them patience, perseverance, and PE skills. Creating new skills builds new neural pathways in our brains, so you will be gifting your child with a lifelong skill and attribute. It can also incorporate skill building such as reading maps, memorizing routes, and communication.
Improves Your Children’s Motor Skills
Cycling is a form of exercise that works on both your child’s gross motor skills, and their fine motor skills. Gross motor skills involve the coordination of larger movements, such as pedaling and balance. Fine motor skills are improved by actions such as learning how much pressure to apply to the brakes. You could even teach your children how to make basic repairs to their bike if it’s safe to do so, which will also hugely improve their fine motor skills.
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