The benefits of cycling for our physical health are well known. But did you know that cycling can bring much more to your general wellbeing?
A feeling of freedom. A connection to nature. Life-changing adventures. These are just some examples of how travelling by bike can contribute to a general feeling of well being for our psychological, social and physical health.
Read on to find out more about these intangible benefits of cycling trips and get some tips to get started!
Cycling tourism combines the many health benefits associated with outdoor exercise with those achieved through travelling and exploring the world. Travel does not only enhance your happiness, but helps your brain function better and boosts creativity. Immersing yourself in new cultures increases your mind’s ability to move between different ideas, think more deeply, and integrate thoughts. “Foreign experiences increase both cognitive flexibility and depth and integrativeness of thought,”.
You probably already know somebody, or maybe even have experienced it yourself, who has undertaken a long distance solo journey after passing through a difficult time in their lives or just for finding personal inspiration, reconnection, and / or purpose. Planning such a trip (either walking or cycling) to discover a new land and a new self is already part of the collective imagination and its therapeutic possibilities and contributions to personal growth have been experienced through history.
The need of escaping the rush and anxiety of the modern lifestyles and all the threads that these ways of living bring to our mental health, pushes many people to dream and pursue an adventure that connects you to nature and the wilderness, forcing you to address the present moment and helping you to achieve a serene state, which aligns body, mind and emotion.