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Why Have Older Adults Embraced Cycling?
Do you still think of bicycles as kids' stuff? You might note that CNN Money, The Economist, and The New York Times have all recently referred to bike riding as the new golf. That is, cycling has begun to replace teeing off as an adult pastime for fitness, fun, and networking.
According to AARP, older adults, the age group strongly linked to golf, started turning up on bike trails more frequently than on golf courses. AARP also reported on a study that found people over 55 use their bikes more often than any other adult age group and make up the fastest-growing segment of the bike-riding population.
Cycling offers a no-impact exercise that can strengthen bones and joints without stressing them. More than that, a high-quality bike provides a relatively affordable piece of fitness equipment while also functioning as a cheap mode of transportation.
Older Adults Spark the Dawn of the Latest Bike Boom
Older adults and cycling certainly aren't strangers. Most Baby Boomers participated in the Bike Boom of the 1970s. They might have aged somewhat since then, but they saw plenty of older adults start cycling in those days. For instance, you may recall the famous photo of Nelson Rockefeller, age 62, cycling for Earth Day festivities in 1970.
Most of all, cyclers find biking fun and a great way to engage in social activities and explore their surroundings. Today's active senior women find getting fit, having fun, and even socializing as easy as riding a bike.
What Type of Bicycle Should Senior Women Buy?
Of course, people who haven't cycled for a while might find the array of cycles on the market confusing. Bike stores offer all-terrain, racing, recumbent, and even three-wheeled bikes. Like all people, senior women enjoy various levels of fitness and cycling experience. In general, older people can still enjoy any exercise they have consistently done and feel comfortable engaging in.
If you already enjoy extreme mountain biking or on-track racing, keep it up. Still, most people arrive here because they haven't cycled for a while and want to find a fun, relaxing, and comfortable way to exercise. You're probably looking for a bike with a design tailored for rides around the neighborhood, park, or campground trails and not for racing around tracks or up and down mountainsides.
To figure out which type of bicycle will suit you the best, first think about proven keys to fitness. While senior women take up cycling for many reasons, they generally first value this activity as a great way to get or stay fit and healthy. If you want to primarily invest in the best bike to use as fitness equipment, look for one specifically designed for women with that same goal.
The Key to Fitness: Exercise Consistency
You might not currently serve in the armed forces. Still, everybody can benefit from the U.S. Army's exercise advice. After all, this branch of the military knows a lot about training to improve and maintain fitness. According to the Army Health Clinic, consistency trumps intensity for producing the best exercise results. When it comes to overall wellness, slow and steady still wins the race.
With that in mind, older people should think about the type of bike they're likely to enjoy using regularly and not necessarily a specialized cycle that helps maintain high speeds or navigates rough terrain. Those specialized bikes might work well under particular conditions, but few people would call them the most comfortable cycles on the market. In other words, look for a practical cycle that's suited for relaxing rides. Your bike's design should protect you from joint stress, aching muscles, and other obstacles that might make you hesitate to keep using it.
Comfortable Cycles Will Encourage Frequent Use
Overall, older women can still maintain and improve their health with exercise, but they may not possess the flexibility, strength, and joint mobility they enjoyed when younger. A comfortable bike designed for older bodies will encourage consistency, and that's why many senior women should strongly consider investing in a cruiser, otherwise known as a comfort bike.
Designers make these bikes to suit the physical needs of older riders in several ways:
- Comfort bikes let riders sit upright, so they don't have to stretch out or bend forward over handlebars.
- These bikes generally offer wide, cushioned seats that relieve pressure on the rear, hips, and backs.
- Thicker tires absorb shocks and also help improve control and balance.
- Cruisers also offer accessible hand brakes and gear levers.
- Low, step-through frames make them easy to mount, dismount, and stabilize when stopped.
You understand that consistent exercise trumps intensity or even longer durations. A comfortable cycle ridden at a pleasant speed for even a modest length of time will encourage regular use. In time, you will get stronger and may choose to ride a bit faster or further, but most of all, even a low-speed and relatively short ride will offer benefits so long as you take your bike out a few times a week.
Why the Body Ease Committed Offers the Best Bike Choice for Senior Women
Designers of the Body Ease Committed had riders just like you in mind when they created the perfect cycle for fun and fitness. This comfort cycle offers a smooth ride on typical bike routes. While BodyEase did not develop this bike for heavy off-road rides, it can comfortably and safely handle city streets and even dirt bike paths.
Since Body Ease paid attention to all of the essential details when they developed this bike, please take a moment to see how their careful planning makes this bike suitable for older women.
Upright Riding Position
The frame's engineering allows proper body alignment to prevent discomfort and soreness. The position of the seat and handlebars let the rider sit up instead of riding hunched over the handlebars. The pedals rest directly below the hips to relieve pressure on the hip and knee joints.
Stable, Balanced Tires
These medium-width tires offer an experience that some have described as similar to riding on air. They also help ensure a smooth, stable experience on various terrain types, from city streets to bike paths.
Cushy Bike Seat
The dual-spring bike saddle offers critical hip and back support. At the same time, it allows for a range of motion and reduces friction.
Plush Hand Grips
Soft rubber grips reduce vibrations to ensure a comfortable grip. The grips feel soft to the touch and won't leave your hands grimy and sweaty after use.
Seven-Speed Gear Shifter
Quickly access the gears right on the handlebar. The choice of seven speeds makes this cycle perfect for navigating sloping ground. Cyclers may also choose various gears to ride at different speeds and set their pace to emphasize strength or cardio workouts. For instance, low gears reduce resistance and help with going uphill or moving at a slower pace over relatively flat ground.
The Body Ease Can Accommodate Various Body Types and Uses
This flexible and customizable bike can suit the needs of a variety of people. Consider some examples:
- Suggested height and weight ranges: BodyEase suggests this bike for women from 5'3" to 6' tall. The rugged but lightweight aluminum frame can support body weights up to 300 pounds. The seat easily adjusts to fit riders of varying heights too.
- Customizable accessories: Many people buy a BodyEase bike for fitness and leisure rides, but others use it to commute, run errands, or even take babies and young children for a ride. Snap-on attachment points make it easy to customize this cycle with such useful accessories as racks, water bottle and lock holders, baskets, and even baby carriers.
- Optimal bicycle use: The company suggests riding speeds from 10 to 15 miles per hour and typical ride durations of 10 to 20 miles. The support and design of this cycle make it an excellent choice for women who suffer from hip or knee issues.
What Do Customers Have to Say About the Body Ease Committed?
Customer reviews often reveal features and benefits that inexperienced riders won't even think of until they experience the cycle for themselves. Of course, everybody will have a unique experience, but it's helpful to read what other customers write about dealing with the company. Almost everybody expressed satisfaction with the bike, and most reviews commented about initially receiving their order and putting the bike together.
For instance, customers commented that their bikes arrived promptly after ordering. More than one reviewer commented that the instructions gave them enough information to put the cycle together quickly after receiving their shipment. A few people got stuck on one step of the instructions, but customer service offered helpful advice.
After speaking with customer service, a reviewer mentioned they took a bike to a bike shop for assistance with aligning the front wheel. Still, they felt satisfied with the results. Many people can assemble the bike with the instructions provided and perhaps, a little help from customer service. Others may choose to find a local bike shop to do this task for them.
Senior Women Also Appreciate the Body Ease Committed's Value
BodyEase left a few bells and whistles off of the BodyEase Committed to respond to customer requests to keep the price affordable. For instance, some of their higher-priced models have a quick-release lever on the front tire, but the Committed does not. They did not skimp on quality workmanship, a thoughtful design, or essential features. In particular, people who need to watch their budgets or are new to biking should appreciate the value pricing.
Cycling Offers the RX for Better Physical and Mental Health
According to a fact sheet from The American College of Sports Medicine, even moderate exercise can reduce the risks of many diseases typically associated with aging by as much as 40 percent. Examples of these health conditions include high blood pressure, diabetes, colon cancer, and Alzheimer's. In contrast, a lack of physical activity exposes people to more significant risks than even smoking, obesity, or high cholesterol.
Exercise helps people get in shape and feel stronger. Speaking of feeling better, AARP also cited studies that found regular exercise helps improve moods. One study found exercise as effective as antidepressants in treating mild depression. A research study of residents in a nursing home found that residents who participated in a therapeutic cycling program decreased levels of depression significantly over residents who did not participate.
Senior Women: It's Time to Roll on a Body Ease Women's Bicycle
Cycling isn't just for kids. It's probably an activity that you enjoyed as a child, teen, and young adult. Only then, you probably didn't even think of riding your bike as exercise. In those days, you used your bike as transportation to school or to participate in a fun activity with your friends.
In contrast to indoor fitness machines or repetitive gym classes, a bike offers a fun activity that won't seem like a chore to engage in regularly. It's also a handy machine because it can take you to the corner market, your neighbor's house, or maybe even to work.
Even though your body has certainly changed in the past few decades, you have not outgrown your ability to enjoy and benefit from cycling. Just make sure you pick out the right bike for your current goals and fitness level. You owe yourself another look at the BodyEase Commit Women's Bicycle.
