Tag Archives: health

Riding a bike makes you happy

We’re not kidding, and we’re not just saying that because you’re passionate about cycling. Cycling allows our body the production of endorphins, the more scientific will already know what it is, but if you do not know endorphins are also known as the hormone of happiness.

What are endorphins?

As we have already told you, endorphins are the hormone of happiness, but from a more scientific point of view they can be defined as a neuropeptide whose function is to stimulate the areas of the brain that produce the sensation of pleasure.

As a natural drug, endorphins are classified as endogenous opiates due to their chemical composition and their effects are similar to those produced by opium derivatives.

Why do we produce endorphins?

Cycling training can have as side effects muscle inflammation, fatigue and stress, with the endorphins produced you can counteract these negative feelings and provide a sense of wellbeing.

  • Endorphins as an anxiolytic

Pedal for 20 minutes at 70% of your maximum heart rate and the secretion of endorphins will reduce negative emotions such as stress. The effects generated will last up to 6 hours afterwards.

  • Endorphins as an analgesic

It is normal to feel better after a cycling session, even if you were in pain before. Endorphins also act as an analgesic. Muscle and tendon pain will be reduced for 4 hours.

  • Endorphins as anti-fatigue

They allow the reduction of exhaustion by slowing down the cardiac and respiratory rhythms.

this picture is a foto of a violet bike in front of the beach, it was taken in the Llobregat River mouth

Endorphins are not the only benefits of cycling, in this article we present you the different benefits of cycling.

Do you want to get a shoot of endorphins?

Don’t hesitate to book your tour with our guides or simply rent our bikes for the time you want.

In love with #30daysofbiking, or #30diesAMBbiciBCN in Barcelona

March 4th, 2018

Photo by Soroush Karimi

These days, this very special hashtag for us is shared in the social networks, because the pedaling is the best social movement for us, our neighborhoods and our city.

30 days of biking is the best challenge of the year. The 30 days of April pedaling for going from one place to another one in the city, for going to work, taking kids to school, going for errands or, basically, enjoying pedaling through the city. A challenge with which the most part of the participants, who have in the bicycle world, will not be able to ever leave it again.

In addition, we shouldn’t forget to share it in the social networks in order to inspire even the the laziest people to participate. A lot of photos have already been distributed in order to awaken the envy -very healthy in this case- and the motivation of a lot of people.

The 30 days of biking comes with a lot of activities organized by entities and collectives from the city, whereby every one of these is gathered in a specific web page (you can access it right here).

If you are tired of traffic jams and pollution since quite some time ago, this is your opportunity to immerse yourself into the bicycle world and start changing things.

 

A heat wave has come to Barcelona and we have to take care of ourselves

Every time we notice a warm temperature in Barcelona city, although the bicycle is a healthy sport, we have to keep in mind other elements, such as the hydration to avoid heat strokes.

pexels-photo-13915-largeAlthough temperatures have not yet reached the summer’s maximum temperatures and it is good weather for riding the bicycle, if we are in a hurry, it is better to have a drink on hand which allows to keep ourselves hydrated.

Remember that with the physical exercise our body loses a lot of water, either through sweat or through forced breathing, so we should not forget (yes, forget, because a lot of times, as a result of the daily stress, we forget to hydrate ourselves completely and if you are doing exercise you should drink water even though you are not thirsty) then, we should not forget to drink water or other kinds of isotonic soft-drink.

Nowadays, in a lot of shops you can find bottles (the lifelong canteens) which will keep your soft-drink at an adequate temperature and which you will be able to reuse during a long time, helping the environment and your pocket.

Taking water with you is essential, but if you want to enjoy some added benefits, you can add a bit of lemon. Lemon is a diuretic, blood tonic and antioxidant citric fruit that will provide our drink with a touch of freshness, which will be very welcome at the end of good ascent.

Now you can see that taking care of ourselves is easy, so if you are doing exercise to keep in good health, you should not forget the importance of a well balanced diet and a good hydration.

If we were already enjoying Barcelona, we will do it even more in 2018 with the 308km of finished bike lanes

Photograpy by Jennifer Boyle

November 24th, 2015

Last Friday, the 20th of October the City Hall of Barcelona announced this extension of the bike lane which will make us more unstoppable.

The City Hall of Barcelona has marked a great challenge: in less than two years we will enjoy a bike lane extension of 308km, so that 90% of the citizens of Barcelona have a lane at a maximum of 300 metres from their homes.

Its action plan includes a budget of 32 million of euros and an extension of the lane in streets as necessary as: Casanova, Pau Claris and the following street Via Laietana, Travessera de Gràcia, Sant Antoni Maria Claret, Cartagena, Ronda de Ciutat Vella and an extension of Marina Street. And in order to get us closer to the most peripheral zones they will make another lane at the Maragall Promenade and in the Zona Franca.

We cannot forget the 23% increase of parking lots in the city, which will make us feel relaxed when we leave the bike with its lock during the time we need.

The final goal of the City Hall, as they have expressed, is no other one than the citizens’ health improvement through the environmental improvement, a goal with which we so much agree; and a project that we will observe closely in order to inform you.