You probably loved riding a bike when you were a kid: legs turning, hair flying, heart pumping. Biking made you independent and kept you in motion. Now that you’re older, biking can still be a great way to get moving. It builds stamina, strength, and muscle tone, and improves cardiovascular fitness — while still going easy on the joints.
Not only that, research shows that aerobic exercise like biking helps fight middle-age pounds, preserves memory, soothes your stomach, and even works to ward off cancer.
1. Battle prostate cancer
Biking may help you live longer. A study led by a Harvard School of Public Health investigator found that men with prostate cancer who were physically active biking, jogging, swimming, or playing tennis for about a half-hour per week had a 35 percent lower risk of death from any cause and a 22 percent reduction in risk of death from prostate cancer, Reuters Health reported.
"We recommend that men with prostate cancer do some type of physical activity for their overall health, even if it is a small amount, such as 15 minutes of activity per day of walking, jogging, biking, or mild gardening,” investigator Dr. Stacey A. Kenfield said in an e-mail. “Vigorous activity may be especially beneficial for prostate cancer, as well as overall health.”
