Cycling and mental health

MrsR

I'm a coaching psychologist and run coach curious to learn more about the world of cycling as I come from a predominantly running background (with formative years spent playing at an international level in hockey). So a combination of solo and team pursuits.

Most of my experience of cycling is seeing my MAMIL husband head out at the weekend with his MAMILian mates on their bikes. So mostly social riders.

I have seen some youtube stuff by cyclists for whom the sport improved their mental health. I wish there were more of these. Unfortunately there are also many stories of warped relationships with body image and many elites and pros including Molly Weaver and Rohan Dennis (to name just two) have opened up about their eating disorders.

In my experience, opening the dialogue so we can educate the athletes/cyclists, coaches, parents and team mates, is the way forwards in reducing the incidence of EDs which is on the rise in the cycling community (see Renee's comments in the article below). I can imagine that body dysmorphia and OCD may also appear in the sport.

Do you have any experience (personal or otherwise) you care to share? What led to it and what worked for you? What can start out as an admirable effort to become a "better" cyclist can quickly lead to an insidious relationship with the very thing that gives you life.

I also know of many athletes for whom running (and cycling) has been an absolute lifeline and there is a huge body of evidence to back this up too. No doubt that any activity can give us mental and physical benefits. I am interested in raising awareness of what to lookout for if things start to take a turn for the worse.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/sports-dietician-says-eating-disorders-cycling-becoming-serious-problem-445709

webboo

My perception on this having been a mental professional for 30 years. Is that the issues that leading to a ED are usually in place before someone becomes athlete, however once the individual has the embarked on an athletic career the ED is easy to hide or dismiss than in general life.
Some interesting stuff from a rock climbing perspective.
https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31096.0.html

MrsR

webboo said:

My perception on this having been a mental professional for 30 years. Is that the issues that leading to a ED are usually in place before someone becomes athlete, however once the individual has the embarked on an athletic career the ED is easy to hide or dismiss than in general life.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, you see it becomes "acceptable" much as the patient with an ED becomes a vegan and is applauded, and then orthorexia develops (and descends back into anorexia and/or bulimia). I believe that if we know how to spot it in teams and sports clubs it has to be a positive way to stop these ingrained issues from hiding in the sports arena and developing for the individual. There is not much we can do to change the perception in general life that the individual is simply being "healthy".

I have given talks to sports clubs where the coaches are well positioned to spot worrying changes in the behaviour or appearance of their young athletes and parents are often oblivious to it. Some prefer not to go there but I do think this is a very positive way to address it.

davep1

Just a normal 56 year old (typical Mamil!) who loves to ride. Have been doing it all my life, although there was a hiatus when my kids were little. I think part of it is it takes me back to being a kid, that sense of fun and adventure, of doing what I want, for nobody else. I love group rides but am more than happy to go out on a 100 miler on my own.
It's great for mental health, being alone with your own thoughts and efforts gives you time to think problems through. I run sometimes too, and that feeling is common to both activities, for me anyway.
I haven't got anywhere near an ED, I enjoy food and drink too mush; in fact I think the cycling lets me eat like I used to 30 years ago when my metabolism could handle it.

MrsR

davep1 said:

Just a normal 56 year old (typical Mamil!) who loves to ride. Have been doing it all my life, although there was a hiatus when my kids were little. I think part of it is it takes me back to being a kid, that sense of fun and adventure, of doing what I want, for nobody else. I love group rides but am more than happy to go out on a 100 miler on my own.
It's great for mental health, being alone with your own thoughts and efforts gives you time to think problems through. I run sometimes too, and that feeling is common to both activities, for me anyway.
I haven't got anywhere near an ED, I enjoy food and drink too mush; in fact I think the cycling lets me eat like I used to 30 years ago when my metabolism could handle it.

Wonderful to hear your story. You won't be surprised to hear that cycling, as all activities that involve movement, has a very real reason for it being therapeutic. EMDR is traditionally used for deep rooted trauma patients but I suspect that many have self-administered unwittingly by simply enjoying their sport, as you have.

https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/what-do-emdr-running-and-drumming-have-in-common-0901154

nibnob21

For me my riding is majority commuting based. Physically it's very noticeable how different I feel on the days I end up in the car instead. I feel groggy and get hungry sooner (neither a surprise). The shot of fresh air and high intensity exercise in the morning really sets me up much better.

The ride itself allows me to simultaneously focus on the present, ie what's directly in front of me, the feedback from the bike, the conditions around me etc, whilst also allowing me to have time to drift away with my thoughts. It also helps to decouple the office from home and provide a good reset in between. The car journey isn't as effective at that.

There's no doubt to me that outdoor physical exercise in general is therapy. It is for me at least anyway. I'm fortunate enough to not suffer from poor physical or mental health, but that being said I feel my mood get totally lifted when Spring rolls in when the days are longer, the weather improves, there's lots of new growth around etc and more options are opened up for spending the majority of my time outside.

Perhaps it's when people start becoming too detached from why they enjoy that activity in the first place that disorders start to develop? If I have a bad commute, for example one that is ruined by a dangerous manoeuvre from a motorist, I try and remind myself why I cycle in the first place, and that it's still a better alternative to driving for so many reasons.

pblakeney

MAMILs cannot be compared to elite athletes, from a MAMIL.
The benefits are obvious and well known, as long as you don't take it too seriously.
Elite athletes have to take it seriously. Sport is results driven and they have to do what it takes to get to the top.

seanoconn

....

MrsR

nibnob21 said:

For me my riding is majority commuting based. Physically it's very noticeable how different I feel on the days I end up in the car instead. I feel groggy and get hungry sooner (neither a surprise). The shot of fresh air and high intensity exercise in the morning really sets me up much better.

The ride itself allows me to simultaneously focus on the present, ie what's directly in front of me, the feedback from the bike, the conditions around me etc, whilst also allowing me to have time to drift away with my thoughts. It also helps to decouple the office from home and provide a good reset in between. The car journey isn't as effective at that.

There's no doubt to me that outdoor physical exercise in general is therapy. It is for me at least anyway. I'm fortunate enough to not suffer from poor physical or mental health, but that being said I feel my mood get totally lifted when Spring rolls in when the days are longer, the weather improves, there's lots of new growth around etc and more options are opened up for spending the majority of my time outside.

Perhaps it's when people start becoming too detached from why they enjoy that activity in the first place that disorders start to develop? If I have a bad commute, for example one that is ruined by a dangerous manoeuvre from a motorist, I try and remind myself why I cycle in the first place, and that it's still a better alternative to driving for so many reasons.

Many thanks for your post @nibnob21 I agree commuting is a fantastic way to incorporate exercise into a daily routine. When I used to live in London, I ran from West London into Liverpool Street and the 8 mile route took me through the Royal Parks and along the Embankment. As you have alluded to, the setting the journey takes place in can really lend itself to enhance the positive experience leaving you completely invigorated and alert for a day at work. The weather can also factor in when the daylight hours are longer and the sun shines brighter giving us more vitamin D (essential for those who suffer from low mood).

On the few occasions I tried to cycle into work, like you say, the poor driving around me detracted from the experience. Perhaps it takes a higher level of self-awareness on the bike (and skill, as cycling is not my first sport!) to not let this detract from the positive experience.

There is a huge body of evidence that focuses on extrinsic and intrinsic goals in sport. It is partly why recreational athletes are so different to coach from elite athletes. In summary, if we focus disproportionately on the end goal, we can lose perspective and forget to immerse ourselves in the journey. I will take process over goals every time. If I happen to achieve a goal, that becomes the icing on the cake.

MrsR

pblakeney said:

MAMILs cannot be compared to elite athletes, from a MAMIL.
The benefits are obvious and well known, as long as you don't take it too seriously.
Elite athletes have to take it seriously. Sport is results driven and they have to do what it takes to get to the top.

Very true although a problem arises when you see the line between recreational athlete and elite athlete becoming blurred and individuals choosing to adopt risky behaviour in achieving goals. This is an extreme example but not unusual. During my time living in California, I witnessed age groupers being caught doping. It wasn't the norm but did open the local dialogue of what on earth was driving these people with daytime jobs to go to such lengths.

It is easy to say "don't take it seriously" but when the trend is for elites to be encouraged by their sponsors to share their training online, and adolescents are then adopting the training, it becomes a deeper ingrained social problem. I always encourage parents and coaches to know what is informing their children's choices and from whom they are taking advice.

nibnob21

therobertscollection said:

pblakeney said:

MAMILs cannot be compared to elite athletes, from a MAMIL.
The benefits are obvious and well known, as long as you don't take it too seriously.
Elite athletes have to take it seriously. Sport is results driven and they have to do what it takes to get to the top.

Very true although a problem arises when you see the line between recreational athlete and elite athlete becoming blurred and individuals choosing to adopt risky behaviour in achieving goals. This is an extreme example but not unusual. During my time living in California, I witnessed age groupers being caught doping. It wasn't the norm but did open the local dialogue of what on earth was driving these people with daytime jobs to go to such lengths.

It is easy to say "don't take it seriously" but when the trend is for elites to be encouraged by their sponsors to share their training online, and adolescents are then adopting the training, it becomes a deeper ingrained social problem. I always encourage parents and coaches to know what is informing their children's choices and from whom they are taking advice from.

If you've not seen it, the film Icarus is a good watch. It starts with the the film maker intentionally doping to see how he can get around cycling rules and remain undetected, but then turns into the uncovering of the whole Russian doping scandal.

pblakeney

therobertscollection said:

pblakeney said:

MAMILs cannot be compared to elite athletes, from a MAMIL.
The benefits are obvious and well known, as long as you don't take it too seriously.
Elite athletes have to take it seriously. Sport is results driven and they have to do what it takes to get to the top.

Very true although a problem arises when you see the line between recreational athlete and elite athlete becoming blurred and individuals choosing to adopt risky behaviour in achieving goals. This is an extreme example but not unusual. During my time living in California, I witnessed age groupers being caught doping. It wasn't the norm but did open the local dialogue of what on earth was driving these people with daytime jobs to go to such lengths.

It is easy to say "don't take it seriously" but when the trend is for elites to be encouraged by their sponsors to share their training online, and adolescents are then adopting the training, it becomes a deeper ingrained social problem. I always encourage parents and coaches to know what is informing their children's choices and from whom they are taking advice.

I urge you not to go watch children's football. The pressure from parents is horrendous. People in general need to take life less seriously.

MrsR

pblakeney said:

therobertscollection said:

pblakeney said:

MAMILs cannot be compared to elite athletes, from a MAMIL.
The benefits are obvious and well known, as long as you don't take it too seriously.
Elite athletes have to take it seriously. Sport is results driven and they have to do what it takes to get to the top.

Very true although a problem arises when you see the line between recreational athlete and elite athlete becoming blurred and individuals choosing to adopt risky behaviour in achieving goals. This is an extreme example but not unusual. During my time living in California, I witnessed age groupers being caught doping. It wasn't the norm but did open the local dialogue of what on earth was driving these people with daytime jobs to go to such lengths.

It is easy to say "don't take it seriously" but when the trend is for elites to be encouraged by their sponsors to share their training online, and adolescents are then adopting the training, it becomes a deeper ingrained social problem. I always encourage parents and coaches to know what is informing their children's choices and from whom they are taking advice.

I urge you not to go watch children's football. The pressure from parents is horrendous. People in general need to take life less seriously.

My son used to play football before falling in love with rugby and joining a local club that had a dad coaching. He used to play for England, which the boys loved, but it did mean the team was quite serious. Four shoulder dislocations later (not all sustained in club matches I hasten to add) and my son still plays but has switched allegiances to weight-lifting instead which is a much more controllable environment (PEDs notwithstanding).

Athletics and xc matches are no different with parents living their unfulfilled dreams vicariously through their children. It is far too much pressure on young shoulders.

mr.b-campag

Thanks for stating an interesting thread trc and welcome to the forum. Can you define your terms for those of us who aren't medical professionals e.g. EM, EMDR etc? I'm not sure what you are trying to get at here (genuinely) - is it just to start a conversation on this topic (no bad thing)? There is clearly considerable self-selection bias with people who take up endurance sports - I recall seeing/hearing a figure somewhere that something like 60% of endurance athletes are effectively self-medicating with their sport.

In terms of well known British cyclists, I recall (St.) Chris Boardman saying he had to win bike races to 'feel nornal', and if you're not aware of Graham Obree I suggest you read his book 'The flying Scotsman' which lays out his demons and asociated sporting accomplishments in a very accessible manner. More recently Colby Pierce did a great podcast on overtraining which is also very eye opening (you can find this pod on other providers):

https://www.fasttalklabs.com/cycling-in-alignment/off-the-cliff-of-overtraining-with-trevor-connor-and-rocco-orlando/

I guess my question to you is why do you think cyclists would be any different to any other endurance athletes? I certainly don't see why the incidence would be any different. I suppose the manifestations could be different - I guess weight is less of any issue for most runners?

I also suspect that raising awareness, whilst worthy is unlikely to help (m)any people. Certainly my relationship with the bike wasn't always that healthy and people telling me so made no difference. That's not to say we shouldn't try, however.

Ben6899

When I look back, I think I had an eating disorder. I'd put on actual weight in my early 20s, worked hard to get it off at around 25/26 with a combination of exercise and eating carefully.

I think I was at a point between 26 and 30 where everyday I was of the mindset "I must exercise today" and "I must eat carefully today", which are not bad mantras in themselves, but they became consuming.

I started cycling seriously - again - when I was 28, after an injury stopped me from playing football all together and running with the ability I'd formerly known (38min 10k anyone?). I think this is when things started to fix themselves and I don't know whether it's because my head was in a better place or if I was literally finding it easier to keep that athlete's physique from all the exploring I was doing on my bike in any spare time I found.

I seem to be fixed now (41 end of this month) in that I don't beat myself up for missing days on the bike (will go a couple of weeks without if I'm not motivated, and do something else in my spare time) and I'm a born-again foodie where food is joy rather than just fuel.

Considering other mental health aspects, I have my moments and have had professional help in the recent past. I will state here, categorically, that cycling helps to purge the dark thoughts and lifts the clouds. Every single time I clip in.

MrsR

mr.b-campag said:

Thanks for stating an interesting thread trc and welcome to the forum. Can you define your terms for those of us who aren't medical professionals e.g. EM, EMDR etc? I'm not sure what you are trying to get at here (genuinely) - is it just to start a conversation on this topic (no bad thing)? There is clearly considerable self-selection bias with people who take up endurance sports - I recall seeing/hearing a figure somewhere that something like 60% of endurance athletes are effectively self-medicating with their sport.

In terms of well known British cyclists, I recall (St.) Chris Boardman saying he had to win bike races to 'feel nornal', and if you're not aware of Graham Obree I suggest you read his book 'The flying Scotsman' which lays out his demons and asociated sporting accomplishments in a very accessible manner. More recently Colby Pierce did a great podcast on overtraining which is also very eye opening (you can find this pod on other providers):

https://www.fasttalklabs.com/cycling-in-alignment/off-the-cliff-of-overtraining-with-trevor-connor-and-rocco-orlando/

I guess my question to you is why do you think cyclists would be any different to any other endurance athletes? I certainly don't see why the incidence would be any different. I suppose the manifestations could be different - I guess weight is less of any issue for most runners?

I also suspect that raising awareness, whilst worthy is unlikely to help (m)any people. Certainly my relationship with the bike wasn't always that healthy and people telling me so made no difference. That's not to say we shouldn't try, however.

Epictetus said, "it is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows". Any sport that has a value attached to the aesthetics or relative weight of the athlete is significantly more vulnerable to succumbing to eating disorders, disordered eating and mental illness. The problem in endurance running regularly destroys young careers and it doesn't have to be overtly present.

Raising awareness is an essential part of bringing it to our consciousness as it takes a courageous or seriously ill individual to step forwards to actively seek help. Let's be frank: mental wellbeing is an uncomfortable topic for many (you see it often diverting from the conversation with a joke instead) and mental illness hugely stigmatised still. Often when people suggest it, unless the person is ready for support, it will be rejected as part of the denial and non-acceptance.

You are right in that I am trying to better understand those very ways in which unhealthy behaviour and the associated mindset manifests itself in cycling. But there are many parallels with other sports (which is my speciality) and I have read many of the case studies.

EMDR refers to eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy which is a form of psychotherapy recognised to effectively treat trauma and post traumatic stress. How many would willingly see a specialist for unresolved trauma but instead might be more motivated to make sure the daily cycle and/or run is a regular part of the weekly routine, in the knowledge it has healing effects? I haven't looked for a study on this particular statistic but I would place money on it being a significant proportion of the population.

Here's a thought for you: even eliciting the emotion of admiration for this initiative ("raising awareness, whilst worthy is unlikely to help...") has had a neurological effect on your brain, deep inside the same region where fear and anger reside. The theory is that this plays a role in the consciousness of and therefore construction of the self (ie your identity). As social emotions are processed using the same systems, we are able to understand others by channeling their experiences through our own. So you see, you don't necessarily have to seek help to help yourself if, as you say, you have had an unhealthy relationship in the past. Knowing yourself better can help you avoid falling back into the trap of an unhealthy relationship. And if not you, perhaps someone else reading this.

MrsR

Ben6899 said:

When I look back, I think I had an eating disorder. I'd put on actual weight in my early 20s, worked hard to get it off at around 25/26 with a combination of exercise and eating carefully.

I think I was at a point between 26 and 30 where everyday I was of the mindset "I must exercise today" and "I must eat carefully today", which are not bad mantras in themselves, but they became consuming.

I started cycling seriously - again - when I was 28, after an injury stopped me from playing football all together and running with the ability I'd formerly known (38min 10k anyone?). I think this is when things started to fix themselves and I don't know whether it's because my head was in a better place or if I was literally finding it easier to keep that athlete's physique from all the exploring I was doing on my bike in any spare time I found.

I seem to be fixed now (41 end of this month) in that I don't beat myself up for missing days on the bike (will go a couple of weeks without if I'm not motivated, and do something else in my spare time) and I'm a born-again foodie where food is joy rather than just fuel.

Considering other mental health aspects, I have my moments and have had professional help in the recent past. I will state here, categorically, that cycling helps to purge the dark thoughts and lifts the clouds. Every single time I clip in.

Thanks for sharing your story @Ben6899 and it is fantastic to hear you are in a good place. You clearly had a good turn of speed in you to play football and run a 38 min 10K (I'm wondering if you played in midfield?) I can imagine it was gutting to stop through injury so it's wonderful to hear that you were bold enough to seek help and that cycling has been your salvation.

It is easy for the dedicated to do too much where exercise is concerned, and I am guessing this is how you ended up injured? Exercise addiction is not a recognised mental illness but I suspect it is only a matter of time before it enters the bible of mental illnesses. It is certainly recognised as a disordered behaviour with underlying drivers that are found in recognised illnesses. Spotting warning signs is an important factor in curbing the destructive behaviours. This is a good article on what to look out for: https://www.waldeneatingdisorders.com/blog/9-warning-signs-of-exercise-addiction/

Ben6899

Oh the turn of speed is definitely now referred to in the past tense!

Anywhere across midfield or at right back in the last couple of seasons. The injury was actually incredibly freaky, but there's a chance that too much long distance running led to some kind of inherent contributory weakness?

Thanks for starting this thread. It's interesting to learn others' perspectives and also read some of the papers/blogs.

DeVlaeminck

The thing about amateur bike racing is the commitment required to be any good. I played amateur football, took up running in my early 30s and got down to a reasonable club standard - did a sub 28 minute 5 mile, 37 minute 10k etc - never going to compete with real local athletes but I was taking it seriously maybe doing 30 miles a week - think the most I ever did was 60 odd.

Bike racing is a different ball game. Just about anyone racing bikes would be at the sharp end of local running races (I realise there is a level above) if they put the same commitment into that sport that they do their cycling.

I remember one of the local "hitters" telling me he used to get up at 3 am so he could do 4 hours before work. He was an extreme but people doing 10-12 hours a week isn't unusual. If you are putting that kind of commitment into it inevitably some will look seriously at cutting their weight and when they reach a plateau the temptation is to do more hours, cut more weight - I'm actually surprised there aren't more eating disorders and riders suffering burnout. Perhaps because so many of us come to it older we've got that perspective to back off a bit - to get off the treadmill - it'd be interesting if younger riders experiences with their peers are different.

webboo

When I was last at work in mental health about 4 years ago. The jury was out on EMDR even staff who were trained to deliver were sceptical about it. I think it use gets pushed because the training is not long so therefore it’s cheap.

MrsR

webboo said:

When I was last at work in mental health about 4 years ago. The jury was out on EMDR even staff who were trained to deliver were sceptical about it. I think it use gets pushed because the training is not long so therefore it’s cheap.

It is interesting hearing about therapies that have a huge body of validated research but that practitioners say wasn't effective. Perhaps that is why psychedelics are being turned to now for trauma.

webboo

It doesn’t have a huge body of validated research. It has some studies that say it effective and others that disagree.
I take it you don’t work in mental health.

MrsR

DeVlaeminck said:

The thing about amateur bike racing is the commitment required to be any good. I played amateur football, took up running in my early 30s and got down to a reasonable club standard - did a sub 28 minute 5 mile, 37 minute 10k etc - never going to compete with real local athletes but I was taking it seriously maybe doing 30 miles a week - think the most I ever did was 60 odd.

Bike racing is a different ball game. Just about anyone racing bikes would be at the sharp end of local running races (I realise there is a level above) if they put the same commitment into that sport that they do their cycling.

I remember one of the local "hitters" telling me he used to get up at 3 am so he could do 4 hours before work. He was an extreme but people doing 10-12 hours a week isn't unusual. If you are putting that kind of commitment into it inevitably some will look seriously at cutting their weight and when they reach a plateau the temptation is to do more hours, cut more weight - I'm actually surprised there aren't more eating disorders and riders suffering burnout. Perhaps because so many of us come to it older we've got that perspective to back off a bit - to get off the treadmill - it'd be interesting if younger riders experiences with their peers are different.

You've got a decent set of legs on you to to run a 28 min 5 miler on 30mpw. I think I am inclined to agree with you on the personality traits I have seen in cycling, certainly at the elite end. It is difficult to accurately compare sports when so much funding and sponsorship is at play in cycling compared to athletics however. That and the coverups go on at different levels (corporations vs national govts).

This got me thinking about the relative benefits to different age categories of cycling. I came across this (no surprises but interesting to see what they decide to study!)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6713343/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6388745/

MrsR

webboo said:

It doesn’t have a huge body of validated research. It has some studies that say it effective and others that disagree.
I take it you don’t work in mental health.

My work is in coaching psychology and positive psychology - so not therapeutic work. It sounds like you previously worked in the mental health medical arena. I am not sure if you are familiar with the development of the positive psychology field but it uses science and interventions to work with individuals and groups to develop wellbeing. So I work with clients who are functioning well but not flourishing or those who wish to optimise performance. Clients include non-athletes as well as recreational athletes to elite and professionals. My interest beyond that spectrum (eg in psychotherapy etc) is therefore on an academic (not practitioner) basis to develop my area of focus so I have read a number of meta-analyses to understand more. Working in academia it isn't hard to find any number of studies to contradict existing ones. In a sense, that is partly how the system works.

Edited: reminder that this thread is about benefits of cycling not EMDR.

webboo

The problem with a lot of Psychological studies is that they never get the same results when the study is repeated.

MrsR

webboo said:

The problem with a lot of Psychological studies is that they never get the same results when the study is repeated.

I think everyone can probably agree there was a replication crisis that is yet to be resolved in psychology. My research is of a qualitative nature not quantitative hence my interest in personal accounts. My coaching ethos is similarly humanistic.

What are you now doing if you no longer work in mental health? What role did you previously perform?

webboo

I’m retired. I was a registered mental nurse worked in the community throughout my career in a very socially deprived inner city. Ended as a team leader/ manager towards the end, not my choice though. Get to a certain grade in the NHS and they want you managing as well as practicing clinically.

feelgoodlost

My experience of cyclists (more so in amateur racers/serious club riders) is the body dysmorphia issue. You see A LOT of posts on Strava/Instagram from incredibly fit/lean riders complaining that they're fat and need to lose a few kilo, pounds etc. in time for a specific target. You also get the comments on the local club runs, where someone will pass comment on your shape (usually meant as compliment) or how you're 'going' - which I don't find particularly helpful. Like I say, I think it's usually meant as a compliment but sometimes it only serves to positively reinforce the body issues for some riders. I appreciate that the at comments should sometimes be taken in jest but for other (especially young and impressionable) riders reading them, it certainly doesn't help. I think certain riders with big followings on the likes of Instagram could be a little more aware of their output in that regard.

Speaking as someone who has cycled for 10 years, I enjoy the structure of it. I enjoy exploring and doing big miles. I dabbled in races but didn't have the nerve or the natural physiology/capability to be any good. I didn't see the point in putting mysely into such a stressful situation with so much risk vs little reward. Now I ride my bike purely to challenge myself on climbs, to help stay healthy as I get older and for my own mental health. The latter seems to be the reason that is always most prevalent in my mind - For better or worse, I start to get twitchy and grumpy if I haven't been out in a few days.

I will also happily admit that I probably have issues with food - in as much as I worry about the effect a big meal/takeaway may have on my waistline and my immediate thought is when can I get out on my bike to try and burn some of it off. I'm fairly sure that can't be a healthy association to have with food, but yet, I see so many other athletes who say exactly the same thing in their Strava descriptions for rides. Maybe it's a good thing, I don't know?

MrsR

webboo said:

I’m retired. I was a registered mental nurse worked in the community throughout my career in a very socially deprived inner city. Ended as a team leader/ manager towards the end, not my choice though. Get to a certain grade in the NHS and they want you managing as well as practicing clinically.

Enjoy your very well deserved retirement @webboo 🙌

MrsR

feelgoodlost said:

My experience of cyclists (more so in amateur racers/serious club riders) is the body dysmorphia issue. You see A LOT of posts on Strava/Instagram from incredibly fit/lean riders complaining that they're fat and need to lose a few kilo, pounds etc. in time for a specific target. You also get the comments on the local club runs, where someone will pass comment on your shape (usually meant as compliment) or how you're 'going' - which I don't find particularly helpful. Like I say, I think it's usually meant as a compliment but sometimes it only serves to positively reinforce the body issues for some riders. I appreciate that the at comments should sometimes be taken in jest but for other (especially young and impressionable) riders reading them, it certainly doesn't help. I think certain riders with big followings on the likes of Instagram could be a little more aware of their output in that regard.

Speaking as someone who has cycled for 10 years, I enjoy the structure of it. I enjoy exploring and doing big miles. I dabbled in races but didn't have the nerve or the natural physiology/capability to be any good. I didn't see the point in putting mysely into such a stressful situation with so much risk vs little reward. Now I ride my bike purely to challenge myself on climbs, to help stay healthy as I get older and for my own mental health. The latter seems to be the reason that is always most prevalent in my mind - For better or worse, I start to get twitchy and grumpy if I haven't been out in a few days.

I will also happily admit that I probably have issues with food - in as much as I worry about the effect a big meal/takeaway may have on my waistline and my immediate thought is when can I get out on my bike to try and burn some of it off. I'm fairly sure that can't be a healthy association to have with food, but yet, I see so many other athletes who say exactly the same thing in their Strava descriptions for rides. Maybe it's a good thing, I don't know?

Thank you for your thoughts. I wonder if the rise in incidences of body dysmorphia is more attributable to all the sharing on social media? The younger generation (and the rest of us) are increasingly conditioned to focus on external attributes to aspire to. As your post shows, the real joy in an activity comes from the relationship with it that inspires you to be well (it's the journey not the destination). I admire your honesty in mentioning the food association and would offer that your self-awareness tells me you are unlikely to have issues. To that end can I say how much I detest the "slices of pizza burned" feature on Zwift? In my humble opinion, if you ever needed to motivate someone with an eating disorder to exercise more, that is the perfect way to do it. 🙈

navrig2

Cycling is great at assisting with positive mental wellbeing on several fronts some of which cannot be easily achieved through other exercise.

The obvious benefit is the release of the beneficial chemicals which result from physical exertion.

Beyond this cycling offers, for me, the following:

Social interaction in an environment which cannot, usually, be interrupted. A group on a cycle will pair up, phones are in pockets and you are not at work. The pairing moves around so you can chat to all your buddies. When not pushing hard conversation is easy.

Social rides tend to be long (several hours) so when you are not paired up you can be stretching your physical limits whilst sorting life clutter within your head. This may not always be immediately positive if you are over thinking about work or relationships but often it brings benefits because the thoughts are, again, uninterrupted.

Social rides regularly take on a competitive edge meaning you are tested physically and are challenged to try harder. Rewards may be faster segments (Strava chasers), longer distances or easier riding for the same distance etc. All good for the head.

The cake stop allows further socialising stuff with limited interruption and, depending on the group, bonding with friends.

The downside is when you don't keep on top of it and become disenfranchised. Fitness wains and you don't keep up resulting in a downward spiral. I've been there and had to be rescued art way through a long ride. At that point professional/medical help was sought. Never again, I hope.