Are you a parent? If so, congratulations – you’ve got one of the most challenging yet rewarding jobs on the planet. There’s nothing quite like raising kids. Sure, there are the tears, scraped knees and tantrums, but as you tuck them into bed each night, you wouldn’t trade it for the world. Your kids can bring you so much joy and love that your heart will be whole each day, complete with gratitude and caring for your children.
Yet part of being a parent means encouraging good habits, healthy behaviours and an active lifestyle. You can do this in several ways – by enrolling them in sports or swimming, having family activities where you get active or encouraging healthy activities, such as cycling. This helpful article will share how you can encourage an active lifestyle and how by getting them a kid’s bike, they can benefit from cycling as an exercise that improves their health and development. Read on to discover more.
Cycling is a Healthy and Wholesome Activity
Riding a bike is one of the best forms of exercise you can do. Kids need regular exercise to help them grow and develop and tire them out on the weekends so they’re not a bundle of nervous energy at home. Cycling is a healthy, wholesome activity that your child can enjoy. They can ride to school if they live close enough and can ride their bike after school and on the weekends. If you have a bicycle, you can cycle with them – this is an excellent way to bond with your child. A healthy family activity could be a bike ride to a cafe for brunch or afternoon tea.
Bike Riding is Excellent for Your Child’s Development
Learning to ride a bike is one of the critical milestones of being a child. It is excellent for your child’s learning and development. They can begin with training wheels, which will allow them to master the art of pedalling before the training wheels come off. Once the training wheels are removed, they have to learn to balance and pedal simultaneously. This means they’re using parts of their brain and making new neural connections. It is an excellent way for them to learn and learn from their mistakes. If they falter or fall off balance, encourage them to keep trying. As a parent, you can provide the praise and encouragement that your child needs and this will help them achieve the goal of learning to ride their bike,
Cycling is Great Cardio
Bike riding is a brilliant cardio workout. While kids generally don’t need to lose weight unless they’re overweight, they can still benefit from a good workout. It can improve their mood, appetite, and well-being and help them fall asleep at night.
In today’s age of video games, YouTube streamers and smart devices, your kid needs a physical outlet that is fun and non-competitive. Cycling is the perfect solution to this. They’ll enjoy riding their bike while benefiting from the cardio workout.
Social Development
If your kid has friends who also cycle, it is an excellent social group activity for them to engage in. They can chat and joke with their mates while they ride their bikes and get some much-needed social connection from the shared activity. They might even make some new friends if some other neighbourhood kids also get out on their bikes. If your child is old enough for an unsupervised ride, this can be an excellent way to bond with their peers.
Encourage Environmentally Friendly Activities
Cycling is the most energy-efficient method of transportation there is. Cycling to and from school and other activities is an excellent way to encourage your child to be eco-conscious and do their bit for the environment. The up-and-coming generations are incredibly environmentally focused, and your kid should be happy to do their bit to combat global warming.
Build Brain Power and Mental Health
Cycling has been proven to increase mental capacity and brain power, so encouraging your kid to ride their bike, you’re helping them to develop their growing brain and build positive neural pathways. In addition, all forms of exercise are excellent for mental health and well-being because they provide a natural dopamine release. Dopamine is a brain transmitter associated with reward, pleasure and joy. Cycling is a healthy and natural way for your kid to get an excellent dopamine boost.
Cycling is Easy to Learn
Most kids can learn to ride a bike relatively quickly with parental assistance. Once mastered, it is a skill that will last them most of their lives. This is a great reason to encourage your child to cycle.
A Bike Riding Summary
This helpful article has shared how you can encourage a healthy lifestyle for your child and how biking benefits their health, well-being and development. It is also great for family bonding and social connection and is environmentally friendly. So, grab your helmets and head out for a family ride.
