4 ways cycling is brilliant for your kids mind, body and soul

You might associate cycling with lycra, uncomfortable seats and perky spin class instructors, but for your kids there is a world of ramps, tricks, trails and racing to explore, and the benefits of that are endless.

1. Supporting your child's physical literacy

Biking is one of the best exercises for developing physical literacy in under 12s. It incorporates balance, core strength and resistance training to build muscle, and its a cardiovascular activity so its helps hearts, lungs and brains while being pretty low impact on their joints. This makes it one of the best activities for physical conditioning in general, but also for getting them ready to play other sports. However, the great thing about cycling is that its playful. Whether that's biking with friends round the park, going up and down ramps or learning bike stunts and tricks, it's physical activity masquerading as play, and that's what keeps kids interested.

2. Positive mental health

Most of us are concerned about our kids being affected by poor mental health. It's much harder to protect them from social media if they don't have another outlet or way to spend their time. Getting on a bike and being a confident rider opens up so many worlds, whether that's getting out in nature and biking along trails or being part of the BMX freestyle or racing community. It builds self esteem, in person social interaction and gets them outside. All of these things are key to good mental health, relieving stress and connecting with the world and community around them.

3. No more days off work because your kid is sick

Well, maybe don't quote us on that exactly, but biking for just 30 minutes a day (that could be your trip to and from school or nursery) reduces illness by 40-50% because the more active you are, the more active your immune system is. So that means less snot and sneezes in your household when kids jump on a bike to get around.

4. Creating good habits

There are so many good habits associated with biking. Firstly, if your kid is a regular biker that physical activity is going to tire them out for bedtime which means they're asleep at a reasonable hour and you get your evening to relax. Secondly, studies have shown that cycling increases blood flow to the brain which increases oxygen and nutrients which improve concentration, memory and cognitive skills. Throw in a bit of neurodiversity too and biking has the power to help calm the ADHD mind and body.

If you want to explore some biking options for your child, take a look at our weekly program or get in touch directly.