5 Important Things Cycling Can Teach Us

5 Important Things Cycling Can

Cycling is such a magical experience. It gives you a sense of freedom that cannot be compared to much else in this world. Feeling the sunshine and the wind blow as you cruise down a smooth, freshly paved road, or the adventurous feeling of delight, joy and release you feel when you’re sailing down a gloriously bumpy and bouncy mountain trail. Spending a day out with the family exploring your community helps you create bonding experiences you’ll all always remember. Cycling teaches us so many important things, but most importantly, it teaches us how to live life more fully and more happily! Here are a few more things cycling can teach us.
Teach Us(and our kids)

Love of Outdoors - Few things help you appreciate the great outdoors more than spending a season cycling in and around the mountains of Colorado. We are so lucky to live where we do, and each of us should be out there exploring and learning about the vast beauty that surrounds us all as much as possible! Exposing your kiddos to the glory of the outdoors is a wonderful way to bond with them and to help them create healthy habits of their own. It also instills a sense of adventure and curiosity. C.S. Lewis once said, “You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.” We think that applies as you’re never too young, as well!

Exercise - Getting and staying fit is important. Creating healthy habits and dedicating yourself to staying active is not always easy. But, if you find something that doesn’t feel like working out, but more like playing out, that’s the ideal way to exercise. Cycling is a great way to stay in shape and have a wonderful time while you’re helping your body become stronger and more cardiovascularly healthy!

Importance of time with family - With kiddos today being distracted by video games, streaming services, social media, YouTube, Facetime, and the plethora of other screen time options they have, setting aside some time for them to spend with you and only you as a family is more important now than ever before. Kids need to know they’re being seen and heard and there’s no better attention that a child can receive than the attention of family members and loved ones. Doing lots of activities together as a family, like cycling, can instill a sense of safety and security that kids need. The more time you spend together doing fun, adventurous and bonding activities, the more time your kids will want to spend time with you.

Discipline and Determination - Cycling is a fun and joy-filled activity! That’s why kids love it as much as they do. When your kids start getting a little older, introducing them to more challenging cycling routes can help them build a strong sense of determination. Getting up that hill the first time is easier the tenth time - why? Because of determination! Teaching your kiddos that when they’re determined to achieve a goal, and if they refuse to give up and continue to work toward that goal, they will achieve it! And getting up that hill is the perfect analogy for life. Never give up. Always stay focused on your goals. Your strength will help you prevail!

Stress Management - Most kids and teens today are faced with far more daily stressors than their parents ever were. Not just with getting good grades and resisting negative peer pressure, which are more “old school” issues, but now kids and teens have to deal with online bullying, getting more homework and less sleep, the pressure to grow up quickly and so much more. Having a healthy outlet for all of these daily stresses can make a huge difference in the way your child deals with and heals from these sometimes overwhelming situations. Cycling, whether it’s with a parent, the family or on their own, can help your kids clear their mind, focus on short-term goals, and work through stress in a healthy way.