Over 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day, and many of us understand the importance of regular exercise for staying healthy. Regular jogging or brisk walking are popular activities recommended by health and fitness professionals. Studies show that folks who walk, run or exercise between five and 30 minutes daily measurably improve their heart, lung, joint, muscle, blood and emotional health. Walking or slow jogging has its benefits, but some more vigorous cardiovascular exercise that gets your heart and lungs working to circulate blood and oxygen is even better.
For many boomers and seniors, increasing the pace of walking or running puts more stress on bones, joints, muscles and connective tissue, not to mention their hearts and lungs. Fortunately, there is another option: cycling! It turns out that cycling has many health benefits, including aerobic fitness, building core strength, reducing stress, weight loss, improving balance — and it’s fun! Here’s a recent summary of health benefits from Medical News Today (medicalnewstoday.com/articles/benefits-of-cycling#health-benefits):
President Joe Biden — 79 at the time, now 80 — goes on a bike ride in Gordons Pond State Park in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, in July 2022. Andrew Harnik / AP file photo
There are several approaches to cycling for exercise and health. Options range from indoor stationary exercise cycles to taking your trusty two-wheeled beach, road or mountain bike out of storage to trying out a recumbent bicycle that lets you sit back comfortably while pedaling. There are even three-wheeled adult trikes, four-wheeled quads and tandem trikes so you don’t need to be too concerned about maintaining your balance or venturing out alone. The new e-bikes even have quiet electric motors to help climb hills that might deter riders from considering cycling at all. It’s not cheating so long as having a motor gets you out and exercising in the fresh Maine air.
Many potential cyclists are concerned about where they might be able to safely ride. With the encouragement and assistance of interest groups such as the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, more and more communities are creating safer places for cyclists and pedestrians. They also have an interactive online map showing where cyclists can avoid motorized vehicles. Another organization supporting safe cycling trails is Rails To Trails. Did you know there are over 400 miles of car-free trails for cycling in Maine? A list of 10 great rail trails in Maine can be found at traillink.com/state/me-trails/.
And of course, you’ll want to be sure to make sure your bike, trike or quad is tuned up and adjusted to fit you. There are many local bike shops. A quick online search for “local bike shops” turned up a half dozen in the Bath-Brunswick-Freeport area, along with reviews.
Finally, be safe by knowing and following the rules of the road, wearing a helmet, dressing appropriately with bright colors and have plenty of flashing lights on your ride.
BoomerTECH Adventures (boomertechadventures.com) provides expert guidance and resources to help Boomers and older adults develop competence and confidence using their Apple devices. Boomers themselves, BoomerTECH Adventures rely on their skills as educators to create experiences that meet individual needs through videos, Zoom presentations, tech tips and timely blog posts.
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