For cycling enthusiasts, all you need is a bike and a backpack to hit the road—simple and eco-friendly. You ride through bumpy roads, traverse dark tunnels, take on challenges that keep coming your way, experience the culture of faraway lands, and feel the thrill of success at your journey’s end. However, it’s important to note that cycling is a speed-based activity with inherent risks. Therefore, when engaging in this sport, be sure to keep the following five points in mind.
1. Cycling is not suitable as a long-term exercise for men. Bicycle seats are narrow, and prolonged riding can compress male organs such as the testicles and prostate, leading to ischemia, edema, inflammation, and affecting sperm production as well as the normal secretion of prostatic fluid and semen. In severe cases, it may even lead to infertility.
2. People with certain medical conditions should avoid cycling. Although numerous studies both in China and abroad have shown that cycling can help prevent cardiovascular diseases, unsupervised and improper cycling can be harmful. It may raise blood pressure in those with hypertension, increase cardiac strain in coronary heart disease patients, worsen conditions in people with hernias, and increase the risk of falls for individuals with post-concussion syndrome or epilepsy. Therefore, those suffering from these five types of conditions should avoid regular cycling.
3. Teenagers should not cycle for extended periods. Adolescents are in a critical stage of growth and development, with softer bones. Choosing bicycles with low handlebars for the sake of fashion, if done over a long time, can affect spinal curvature and physical development. Hence, teenagers should not engage in prolonged cycling exercises. Even if they do, they should maintain proper posture under the guidance of a coach.
4. Avoid cycling on roads. Do not choose city streets as your cycling training ground, as car exhaust and dust pose serious health risks. When cycling, increased physical exertion enhances cardiopulmonary function. If you can’t avoid inhaling exhaust and dust, these harmful substances will rapidly circulate throughout your body due to increased lung and heart activity, ultimately poisoning your internal organs. In the short term, it may cause discomfort and dry cough; over time, it could lead to headaches and general fatigue. Long-term cycling on polluted roads may even cause lung diseases. Additionally, women in their menstrual period, who have weaker immunity, should also avoid cycling in heavily polluted areas. Cycling on roads during summer also increases the risk of heatstroke.
5. Choose appropriate gear for cycling. Helmets can significantly reduce the risk of concussion in case of a fall, which is why U.S. insurance regulations require cyclists to wear helmets—or else they won’t be compensated in case of an accident. However, this is often overlooked by cyclists in China. Other common protective gear includes knee pads, ankle guards, elbow pads, and wrist guards, which help prevent sprains and bruises while riding.