20 Minutes of Cycling Can Cure Heart Related Diseases - Study

Physical inactivity is associated with many of the leading causes of lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiac ailments and even some forms of cancer.

The WHO suggests that adults between the ages of 18 to 64 years should indulge in at least three hours of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week.

Amar Singal, the Senior Interventional Cardiologist at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, New Delhi, highlights several studies suggesting the same.

A study conducted by the Purdue University concluded that regular cycling can cut your risk of heart disease by a whopping 50 per cent.

Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for over 30 per cent of the global deaths annually.

A daily cycle ride of just 20 minutes is sufficient to achieve this target. Counting on the benefits of cycling, Singal explained, "Cycling is one of the best cardio exercises for people of all age groups and all body types. It not only helps burn calories and keeps weight under control, but also helps build stamina and increase muscle and bone strength.

"At the same time, cycling is also a major stress relieving exercise, especially when undertaken in a congenial environment such as a park or a non-congested road. Regular cycling stimulates and improves your heart, lungs and circulation, reducing your risk of cardiovascular diseases," 

Being a low impact exercise, it is also soft on the joints and unlike hard gym training sessions, it doesn't put you at risk of overuse injuries or sprains. This is why it can also be taken up by elderly people who have arthritic joints."

Do you know that just 20 minutes of daily cycling can almost half your risk of dying from a heart-related disease..?

In India too, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of deaths today, accounting for more than a quarter of all mortalities.

The Global Burden of Disease study has estimated that CVD death rate in India is 272 per one lakh population which is higher than the global average of 235.

According to the World Health Organization, insufficient physical activity is one of the ten leading risk factors for death worldwide.

The health benefits of regular cycling include:

- Increased cardiovascular fitness.

- Increased muscle strength and flexibility.

- Improved joint mobility.

- Decreased stress levels.

- Improved posture and coordination.

- Strengthened bones.

- Decreased body fat levels.

- Prevention or management of disease.