This Issue’s Experts
Zeng Shuang (Spin Cycling Coach at CTS Club, LIMIGYM Fitness Club)
Liao Bagen (Director of the Sports Medicine Teaching and Research Section, Guangzhou Sport University)
More and more people are choosing bicycles as their mode of transportation to and from work, and using their spare time or holidays to cycle with family and friends. Various signs indicate that cycling for exercise has gradually become a fashionable fitness activity. But experts specifically warn that not everyone is suitable for exercising by bicycle, especially adolescents who are still developing. Moreover, cycling as a sport has certain requirements for venues and weather.
Weather Unsuitable for Cycling
● Heavy Fog: Cycling in heavy fog may cause damage to the respiratory tract and muscles and joints. It is advised not to exercise outdoors. This is because the air pressure is lower on foggy days, and pollutants from all directions are hard to disperse, easily irritating sensitive parts of the body and causing pharyngitis, tracheitis, conjunctivitis, and some allergic diseases. For the elderly and those with weak constitutions, it could even be life-threatening.
● Strong Winds in Winter: In the same temperature, the wind makes it feel colder because wind blowing on the skin is equivalent to lowering the ambient temperature by 8°C. The winter climate is dry and can cause skin to crack. In extreme cold, the basal metabolic rate increases by 10%-20%. When cycling in the bitter cold, the heat generated is mainly used to keep warm, making it difficult to achieve fitness benefits.
People Unsuitable for Cycling
● Adolescents in Development: Adolescents who are still growing are not suitable for prolonged cycling exercises. This group is in a peak period of growth and development, with bones and many organs not yet fully developed. If adolescents develop bone deformities due to improper cycling, the consequences can be very serious. Surveys show that 70% of teenagers only consider style when choosing a bicycle, and over 50% have improper cycling postures. Therefore, most teenagers focus only on brand and appearance when buying a bicycle, neglecting safety and comfort.
Regarding how to choose a bicycle, Zeng Shuang, a spin cycling coach at CTS Club, suggests: First, it’s best to choose shorter cranks. Shorter cranks make muscles more efficient throughout the movement and prevent large knee flexions that result in wasted effort. Second, the saddle should be flat. It should be level or slightly tilted downward to avoid compressing the femoral artery. A larger saddle is also relatively more comfortable. Third, the saddle height should be moderate. Many students like to raise the saddle too high, but this not only makes cycling more strenuous but also greatly affects the development of the spine.
● Heart Disease Patients: These individuals should avoid any strenuous exercise, including basketball, soccer, table tennis, badminton, running, and mountain climbing. Cycling as exercise also falls under strenuous activity. Strenuous exercise increases the burden on the heart, and symptoms can occur very suddenly, greatly increasing the risk of cycling accidents.
● Hypertension Patients: These individuals are at risk of sudden cerebral hemorrhage, especially when cycling at high speeds.
● Epilepsy Patients: People with epilepsy can have sudden seizures at any time and completely lose control. If a seizure occurs while cycling, it will inevitably result in injury to both the rider and the bike, and may even be fatal. Therefore, they should not cycle. Such individuals face great danger if a seizure occurs during cycling.
● Those Who Have Had Brain Surgery: Anyone who has undergone brain surgery (excluding simple scalp and skull surgeries) is not suitable for cycling. There is a potential risk of epilepsy occurring at any time after brain surgery.
● Patients with Occlusive Vasculitis: These individuals are prone to leg pain (mainly in the calves and toes) while cycling. If this occurs, even walking can become difficult.
● Pregnant Women and Women in Their Menstrual Cycle: Pregnant women face significant safety risks while cycling due to reduced physical agility. Women in their menstrual cycle who cycle may experience retrograde menstruation, as cycling causes uniform, slow, and continuous vibrations in the pelvic area, promoting pelvic congestion and retrograde menstruation, which is not good for health.
Places Unsuitable for Cycling
Due to the high levels of environmental pollution on urban roads, car exhaust and dust can be very harmful to people exercising. Especially when cycling for fitness, increased exertion raises cardiopulmonary function. If you cannot avoid exhaust fumes and dust, the passively inhaled harmful gases will quickly spread throughout the body with enhanced cardiopulmonary function, thereby poisoning internal organs. Long-term cycling on polluted roads may also lead to lung diseases. Therefore, try to avoid heavily polluted roads when cycling and choose routes with fresh air. Of course, using an indoor stationary bike for exercise is also a good option.
Many young people enjoy cycling on bumpy mountain trails, considering it an excellent form of aerobic exercise. However, the bumps and vibrations caused by cycling on uneven terrain can cause the rider to lean forward, increase the curvature of the waist, and put pressure on the lumbar spine, cervical spine, and wrist joints, leading to potential sports injuries. If necessary, daily cycling should not exceed one hour, and attention should be paid to using a cushion with medium-firmness sponge on the saddle or installing shock-absorbing devices on the bike to reduce jolting.