Power Of Pedals

Cycling can be a lifesaver for prediabetics. We find out how exactly.

- Mehul Reuben Das

That cycling has numerous health benefits is a well known and well documented fact. Not only does it help you get your weight under control, it is also a great cardiovascular exercise that has an all rounded effect on your body. People who cycle regularly are not only far more fitter and able to lead an active lifestyle, they are more prone to engage in all their activities, be it at the office, or in their homes, in a far more efficient and effective manner.

If for some reason, this still hasn’t convinced you to hop back on a bicycle, may be the fact that regular cycling helps in preventing type two diabetes, will. Or the fact that if you are prediabetic, cycling at a normal pace every day for one hour can help reverse your prediabetes.

A study by the University of Southern Denmark found that people who cycle regularly can lower the risk of getting type two diabetes by about 20 per cent. The study was conducted over a period of five years and focused on around 50,000 to 60,000 people, all over the age of 55. The study however, does not claim that there is a direct, cause and effect relationship between cycling and lower risk of diabetes.