From Road.cc
A study has found that cycling not only improves physical fitness but also enhances mental well-being, reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression, strengthens social connections, and sharpens cognitive function.
The study, a scoping review of bicycling interventions’ impacts on psychological, social, affective, and cognitive well-being, reviewed 87 studies from 19 countries examining the effects of structured cycling programmes, known as ‘bicycling interventions’, on well-being.
The review found clear benefits for social wellbeing in every study that measured it. It also found positive effects in 67% of studies looking at psychological wellbeing and in 56% of studies looking at emotional wellbeing.
These interventions ranged from one-off sessions on indoor stationary bikes to multi-week outdoor cycling programmes, commuting schemes and mountain biking sessions, all designed to measure how cycling influences mental, emotional and cognitive health.