It Can Seriously Be Refreshing! 

You may be surprised to see this article on a tech blog but hear me out, many of us work 8-hour shifts working from home without really going out anywhere during the week.

I’m guilty there!

But that can actually be bad for you, you need a way to decompress and get some exercise, whether it’s going for walks during the day or going on a run in the evenings. 

I decided to start going on more walks throughout the week and long cycling trips of over 20 miles during the weekend. 

After doing that for a few weeks, I noticed several improvements which I wanted to share with you.

So without any further ado, here are the ways long cycling trips have improved my productivity, fitness and mental well-being…

A break from the screens

I often spend long days and evenings working from my desk.

If you multiply that by 5 days per week, that is a very long time. Now in all fairness, I am a hybrid worker so I am expected to visit the office once or twice a week, but it’s still a very long time sitting at the desk.

Going on a cycling trip at the end of a busy week allows me to take a break from the screens and go outside and enjoy the outdoors. On top of that as someone who lives in Gloucestershire, there are some truly stunning places I could cycle to.

It allows me to get exercise

Let’s not forget about the obvious, cycling is a great way of getting exercise and keeping fit. 

Best of all it’s free! I mean you have to buy a bicycle first, but once you’ve done that it can become a cheap way of getting exercise.

Best of all, you don’t have to go on crazy long trips, after taking a long break, I started off with short trips of up to an hour which I managed to cover around 10 to 15 miles. 

I now tend to go on much longer and more demanding trips which give me anywhere from 25 to 35 miles. On top of that, I take the more demanding routes where there are many hills and stunning views.

It boosts my creativity

Not only is cycling a great form of exercise, but it can help you become more creative.

I  mean breaking away from your workspace and immersing yourself in nature during cycling trips can seriously spark inspiration which in return can enhance your creativity. 

Even when you are cycling in a city, the change of scenery as well as the freedom of movement to go where ever you want can all contribute to stimulating the mind.

I’ve created some extremely good content that went viral from an idea that I had while cycling! A great example is my blog post on why I moved away from Notion.

Whenever I have an idea, I will stop and note it down in Google Keep, as that will free my brain to come up with other ideas. 

It’s not only helping me with content creation but also my professional life as well as my personal life.

It’s a perfect time for reflection and planning

Moving on from creativity, I find that cycling trips offer a great opportunity for self-reflection and planning. I mean your mind tends to wonder when you’re pedalling along which at the same time allows you to reflect on your goals, projects as well as any other priorities or tasks you may have.

The simple fact that you’re alone with your thoughts can help you identify things that you wouldn’t usually identify when with a group of people or sitting at your desk. It can also be a great time to set new objectives and create action plans.

I find the fact that I’m away from my desk with my own thoughts for extended periods of time enables me to think differently and analyse situations in a different way which in return helps me make better decisions.

It’s the perfect time for books!

This may surprise you, but I can’t count the number of books I’ve read and finished during cycling trips.

This may come as a surprise to you, but with the help of technology and an Audible subscription, I am able to listen to all sorts of books which not only help me with being more productive but also help me find new ways of thinking.

Simply listening to audiobooks, can teach you a lot of new things such as productivity techniques, languages and it can even take you away into fantasy worlds. I highly recommend trying a service such as Audible, and best of all, they always offer free trials. 

If you want to support my work, I am including my Audible Affiliate link.

Now with cycling, I don’t wear or recommend wearing earbuds or headphones that cover your ears. 

If you are serious about cycling on a weekly basis, I recommend getting a set of headphones that don’t actually cover your ears. The Soundpeats RunFree Lite is an excellent option if you are on a budget, and if you haven’t checked out my review, you can check it out here.

These headphones are different from the standard ones as they use air pointed towards your ear to transmit sound.

If you don’t mind spending a little more, the Shokz OpenRun bone conducting headphones are an even better option. They work by transferring audio waves through your skull instead of your ear drum.

It’s a great way to reduce stress

Stress can be detrimental to productivity, it can cause burnout, it can hinder creative thinking and it can generally make you feel bad.

Going on cycling trips can be a fantastic way to relieve stress, which can make you feel refreshed and it can help you forget about your worries and problems. It also helps me come up with solutions to any problems I may be facing.

I find that being surrounded by nature, fresh air and above all, a different environment can be a great escape from the pressures of daily life.

Cycling allows you to completely disconnect from the world around you and it allows you to simply enjoy the surroundings. You don’t have to think about deadlines or any projects you may be working on. 

I mean I find that sometimes listening to the nature around you can prove to be very beneficial.

Final Thoughts

Gadgets and tech can be great things, but sometimes it’s just nice to disconnect from it all and make time for yourself and I find that going on cycling trips is a great way for me to do just that.

Incorporating cycling trips into my weekly routine has honestly been a game-changer for me and it’s been working for many years. It was a great way to relieve the stress of dreaded assignment deadlines when I was at university as well as reflect on my assignment work. 

So my advice is, to set a weekly cycling goal (My goal is 20 Miles), grab your bike, explore new routes and places and experience the transformation in just a couple of weeks!