Can Mountain Biking Make You Happy? | 7 Reasons To Ride
While the future is still uncertain, travelling still farfetched – mountain biking is the next safest thing you can do to shake off that cabin fever!
In these trying times, we’ve been subjected into these roller coaster rides full of Q’s since last year – ECQ, GCQ, MECQ, MGCQ and many more that it seems to be drawn out from the Wheel of Fortune. Moreover, how about the 2021 terms such as the Circuit Breaker, Granular, Hard, Soft and the NCR+ (sorry, Disney+).
There’s also the Level 9. The New and Improved Fortified Enriched Extreme Enhanced Community Quarantine with L-Carnitine, Ginkgo Biloba and Lactobacillus Shirota Strain.
Put the Fun Between your Legs!
Biking doesn’t only improve your cardiovascular health, bone health, hand and eye coordination, but also your mental health, IT MAKES YOU HAPPY.
Remember that time when sweat was dripping off your face, your muscles are already sore but you are laughing with your bike buddies?
That after ride chat where you review the challenging segments, the river crossing, steep ascents and that crazy view up in there? You were more than happy that you can’t explain it or put it into words.
With the quarantine restrictions easing a little bit, it allowed people to exercise and go out while following minimum health standards. Mountain biking is the perfect social distancing activity you can do right now!
Mountain biking will actually keep you sane this pandemic, here are the 7 reasons on how it affects us in all the right places:
1. HOW ABOUT A NATURAL HIGH?
As we tackle the lahar ridden trails of Pampanga, or the long and winding roads leading to the natural wonders of Dona Remedios Trinidad – we fostered a greater appreciation for nature.
When we spend less time outdoors, and confined to the four walls of our room – negative mental and behavioral changes happen. Moreover, it can lead to depression, attention and mood disorders.
Expending more time in front of our screens watching Netflix and scrolling through your Facebook and Instagram feeds makes us feel bad with our present dispositions.
A study from Stanford University conducted in 2015 made participants walk 50 minutes through a natural environment versus an urban center. The study found out that the participants who connected with nature experienced positive emotions, less anxiety, and increased performance in memory tasks.
Just imagine what a two hour to a whole day mountain biking can do to your mood! Now call that a natural high!
2. NATURE DEFICIT DISORDER NO MORE
In 1984, Biologist and Naturalist Edward Wilson coined the term “Biophilia”. This hypothesis suggests that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connection with nature and other forms of life. He said that we as human beings are always subconsciously searching to connect with the natural world. (kaway kaway sa mga Plantitas and Halamoms out there!)
When you ride your bike and hit the trails, these positive feelings are created on that exact moment. As you reach that viewing deck with a panoramic view of the town from down below – it is that sense of awe that you can’t put into words.
Rather, you’ll just sit there, stare into that grand view, and you’re even lucky if you have a cup of coffee and awesome company to share it with.
3. RELEASE THOSE ENDORPHINS!
Exercise reduces the secretion of Cortisol, a hormone that contributes to stress. It is said that a 20 minute exercise per day improves your mood for up to 12 hours. In addition, as Cortisol levels goes down, your body then produces Endorphins or the so-called “Happy Hormones” that help you change your mood for the better.
When you finish a bike ride, there is a reason why you feel happy and energized as if you can still go the extra mile albeit the sore calves, it is science!
So the next time you’re thinking of hitting the gym, why not just bike more? You’ll get the same workout but with a boatload of benefits!
4. LAUNCH YOUR SELF-ESTEEM TO GREATER HEIGHTS
Remember when you pushed your bike up thinking it will be hard to go down? Then you got surprised that you managed to go down unscathed?
Or do you recall when you recorded a whopping 1,300 meters of elevation gain or your first 100 kilometers on Strava for your ride?
Being able to set a goal and finishing it and besting your personal record makes you happy, right?
That feeling that you did something you never thought you could, or that sense of fulfillment really boosts your self-esteem and confidence.
5. GET ADDICTED, IN A GOOD WAY
Addiction can kill you, your dreams and your hopes. But is there such a thing as Positive Addiction? Yes there is.
According to William Glasser, who wrote a book on it in 1976, said that positive addiction “strengthens us and make our lives more satisfying, it enables us to live with more confidence, creativity, happiness and much better health”.
Here are some criteria for positive addiction:
- Noncompetitive that you can devote approximately an hour a day
- Possible to do easily and doesn’t necessarily require a good deal of mental effort
- Possible to be done alone or with others but does not depend on others to do it
- Something you believe has some physical, mental, or spiritual value
- Something you believe will improve you but only you need to measure the improvement
- Possible to do without self-criticizing. If you can’t accept yourself during this time the activity will not be addicting
Does this seem to tick all the boxes when mountain biking? It does not dominate one’s life, it stays confined within a time frame but the effect spills over into one’s life for the better!
But I must admit that “Upgraditis” got the best of me when I started biking! It was this constant need to improve your bike, buy this and that, make it more acclimated for here and there. But hey! Atleast my money goes to making my bike better rather than buying booze and cigarettes. (sige, palusot pa)
6. MEET NEW FRIENDS
It is just common courtesy to greet riders along the way: a wave, a bell ring or a nod is more than enough. But you can’t just help but to strike a conversation with fellow mountain bikers who share the same experience as you are.
Just like mountaineering, being tied to a supportive community also encourages you to get involved more and get outside. Even a visit to a local biking shop and confessing to your local mechanic that you have the so-called “upgraditis” will earn you new friends.
Having new friends also reduces the feeling of social isolation and loneliness which is becoming a trend nowadays. When the weekend hits, it definitely is hard to say no when you are invited for a ride!
7. BE IN THE NOW: THE ART OF MINDFULNESS
Maintaining a present state of mind at all times has been hard to do in this present day and age. It is really hard to stay focused these days, you are constantly multitasking, checking your email and social media feeds.
Be it biking, running or mountaineering – the moment you are focused on the trail at least 10 to 20 feet ahead of you, scanning for obstacles, reacting to the here and now. You are now mindful, or bringing your attention to the present moment.
If you are not mindful of the present, you might end up getting injured.
Being able to go around with my bike for the past few months, simply enjoying the pleasurable pace of travel that cycling allows, I can definitely attest that it really made me happy.
So hit the trails with your noble steeds and reap the rewards of biking and communing with nature.
*P.S. Please don’t be a part of the statistics this pandemic, please follow the minimum health requirements set by health department.
**P.P.S Wag itong gamiting rason kay misis, jowa o nanay para makatakas sa bahay
Updated April 05, 2021
