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Biking to the Baylands

tidbitsfromemily
Dec 15, 2014
2 min read

The control of your fingertips. The power of your feet. No gas required.

A soft, cool breeze brushes against my skin. My mind wanders into the trees and wilderness around me, and it is taken by the power of my legs. I inhale, taking a deep breath in of the smells and sounds of my surroundings, and I exhale my worries, doubts, and fears. A smile forms on my lips as I become giddy inside. At this very moment, I am enjoying the ride as much as my destination. I am biking.

This evening, I biked along the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail, a path that is approximately four miles from its South end at Cabrillo Avenue to its North end at Highway 237.

Perfect for bikers, runners, joggers, or walkers, it’s a safe and clean trail that is fairly wide, with two lanes separated by a painted yellow line. I love how there are trail markings along the trail that identify the distance every fourth of a mile. Plus, there are multiple entries along this trail so you can access it easily. I definitely recommend this to any of you who are looking for a good bike ride or are even training for a marathon–this trail has plenty of uphill and downhill slopes that will be sure to bring your heart rate up a few beats.

Here are a few health benefits of biking that I have researched online:

According to kinesiology professor Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D. at the University of Georgia, biking may boost your energy because it triggers your brain to release a neurotransmitter called dopamine which is linked to energy. In a study published in the Psychotherapy and Psychosomaticsjournal, biking has been found to decrease fatigue by 65% and improve energy levels by 20%.
Biking may help reduce stress. As with any regular exercise, biking can improve your self-esteem and well-being. And along with being an outdoor activity, biking is a great opportunity for you to be with nature. The University of Minnesota has found that exposure to nature improves your emotional well-being, reduces your blood pressure, and contributes to the production of stress hormones.
Biking, compared to other physical exercises/activities, has little risk of strain or over-exercise due to low impact on many parts of the body, including the mobility of knee and hip joints, as well as the ankle and the spine.
Biking has been found to lower blood pressure and LDL low-density lipoprotein or the “bad cholesterol” in your body. As stated in Women’s Health Magazine, researchers have found that in a study of thirty-two women who biked at a moderate to high intensity three times a week for at least half an hour, within a year, most subjects lowered their blood pressure and LDL levels, in addition to increasing their aerobic fitness.