B. Carfree

Not exactly news, but here's yet another blurb about yet another study showing that cycling adds years to lives.

https://theconversation.com/cycling-...aggering-76292

genec

Of course, if you have a limited retirement fund... just how many more years do you really want to add to your life?

blamester

Wow lots of fun in your house.

FBinNY 

The health benefits unique to cycling. ALL physical activities have positive benefits. What makes cycling unique is that people actually do it, whereas they don't to put in as many hours with other sports and physical activities.

This study bears it out, because nobody exercises as consistently as someone who has to do so to get to and from work daily. It's sort of enforced willpower.

ptempel

OP, I guess this is true with any cardio based activity you can do for an hour a day or so. It's certainly my "secret wepon" to try and be around (and fully functional) for my son's high school graduation and possible college years. I'm 49 and my son is 4 so you do the math...

LOL, am guessing that @genec is being a bit cheeky. We could always let ourselves go and be fat couch potatoes.

Setting: @genec and I are sitting on a couch and watching a movie. We have a big bowl of chips and some soda.
Me: (BURRP!) Hey Gene! Pass the CHIPS!



Edit: "In addition, those who cycled part of the way to work still saw benefits – this is important as many people live too far from work to cycle the entire distance." This is why I do the Park n' Ride (car and bike).

Milton Keynes

You must have Dr. Kervorkian's number on speed dial.

genec

Based on the last few years experience, I suspect the even later years to be even more "fun."

Try to recall your parents and grandparents and how much of their sundown year conversations were devoted to pain and operations...

So the choice is either stayed numbed by drugs, or die painfully, or go out quickly in a blaze of glory...

Reality bites.

bobwysiwyg

Better update his contacts, Kervorkian's own number came up in 2011.

B. Carfree

Well, since the average annual cost of owning and operating an automobile in the US is about $8k, the folks who are riding their bikes instead of driving have probably been better able to save for their retirements.

Also, the expensive part of retirement is the later years when one can no longer perform basic functions. I'm told that the number one reason people have to move to assisted living is because they can no longer get onto or off of a toilet. I suspect that folks who have been long-time cyclists are less likely to lose the ability to perform such "squats" early on in their retirement years.

B. Carfree

Bah, most of my elders went down with, but not of dementia, as did my wife's. Some of ours became a bit violent (her great aunt and my grandmother were both kicked out of many assisted care homes for beating up the staff).

I hope someone takes me out on a long mountain bike ride from which I don't return if I get to that point.

I-Like-To-Bike

I suspect that your suspicions about the relationship between retirement income, assisted living and cycling habits are nothing but your own daydreams with no foundation but wishful thinking and smarm.

raqball

I retired 7-years ago at age 45 and since then, my miles ridden per year have increased. Don't know if I'll live longer because of it, but I sure do enjoy my daily rides.

rydabent

I have posted many threads that pretty much call my bike and trike my fountain of youth machines. Genes of course enter into the mix but while im 78 many say I could pass as being in my late 50s. And I am in far better shape than my HS classmates and the guys I work with who exercise very little. Weather permitting I ride approx 30 miles every other day.

genec

Or pushes you out on some ice floe...

rydabent

Well--------------look at it this way. Old age days spent riding a bike is one hell of a lot more fun than sitting in front of your TV filling your attends.

genec

fify

ItsJustMe

Almost everyone who bicycles also owns a car. I own four.

OBoile

This is a huge point that often gets overlooked in debates. The best exercise is the one that you'll do consistently.

genec

Exactly... habitual exercise.

rydabent

The annual cost of owning an auto can be reduced by doing your own maintenance just like doing so on your bike. A set of ramps allow a person to change their own oil and filter therefore cutting the cost in half even if you use a premium oil. My oil changes cost me less than $35 dollars using Mobil 1 extended. Like wise usually about Feb I do a major maintenance cycle on my bikes so that I dont have problems during the summer riding season.

rydabent

I might add that since retiring 8 years ago at 70, I pretty much ride around 30 miles every other day in the summer time. Of course genes must have something to do with it, but my resting heart rate is 58, my BP is 122/67 and blood fats are 125. I lay these numbers to my cycling.

Ald1 

I'm 65 and recently got back into cycling. 3 months 900 miles now about 17 mph average. Genes are good on my Mom's side. Not so good on my Dad's. I hate traditional medicine as a visit to the doctors is always a pill push. I've been into alternative medicine for decades and, aside from arthtis, my health is great. I do not take one perscription drug and only succome to maybe over the counter pain meds. once in awhile. The culture has been brainwashed. You should see the looks I get from doctors when asked what drugs I'm on and I say none. Sadly this should be the normal and today is the exception.
Today I have more time, more libito, and feel better than most of my middle age years when I was 55 lbs heavier and popping a couple of "scripts" a day. Many folks I associate with are in there mid to late 70's and look better than me and are fun loving active people. The great thing about cycling is, it will help tremendously holding back father time.

I-Like-To-Bike

Good for you!

coominya

coominya

[MENTION=20232]I-Like-To-Bike[/MENTION] you're in good form today