Two-wheeled transportation has benefits

It's a little too late for readers to take part in today's Bike to Work Day, and that means of transportation just isn't practical for many of us.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't think about using it on other days, climbing aboard on our days off.

It's not unusual to see someone loading up a bike at the local big-box store, and a visit to the local bike shop where dozens of two-wheelers await repair is evidence that bicycling is as popular as ever. A local contingent is preparing for the annual Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska and it's not unusual to see stories and photos in the Gazette about bicyclists riding across America in support of one cause or another.

But don't think you have to make such a major commitment to the sport to benefit from it.

The BikeRadar website compiled a list of reasons to air-up the tires on that dusty bicycle in the back of the garage.

Among them:

* You might actually get their faster by riding a bicycle if traffic is an issue along your route.

* You will sleep better. After Stanford University School of Medicine researchers asked insomniacs to cycle for 20-30 minutes, they found the insomniacs fell asleep twice as fast and slept about an hour longer than non-cyclists. Exposure to daylight helps get your circadian rhythm back in sync and rids your body of the stress hormone cortisol.

* Increased circulation created by cycling delivers oxygen and nutrients to your skin, increasing collagen production, flushing toxins and making you look younger.

* Improve digestion by moving food through your digestive tract more quickly and even reducing the chance of contracting bowel cancer.

* Improve mental sharpness by increasing blood flow and oxygen to the brain.

* Stimulate immune cells. University of North Carolina researchers found that people who cycle for 30 minutes five days a week take about half as many sick days as counch potatoes.

* Live longer. King's College of London compared more than 2,400 identical twins and found those who did the equivalent of just three 45-minute rides a week were nine years "biologically younger" even after taking body mass index and smoking into account.

* Go green. Twenty bicycles can be parked in the same space as one car, and they produce no pollution. It takes five percent of the materials and energy to build a bike as a car. Comparing calories to gasoline, you get the equivalent of 2,924 miles per gallon on a bicycle.

* Improve your sex life, delay menopause, avoid impotence and, in a related issue, have better moods during pregnancy and have easier deliveries.

* Cut your risk of heart disease by 50 percent.

* Be more productive and motivated at work.

* Improve cellular health and reduce your risk of cancer.

* Lose weight and, according to statistics, increase earning potential.

* Reduce pollution.

* Spend healthy time with your family.

* Enjoy guilt free snacks, because you're burning off the calories.

And that's only a few of the purported advantages.

Of course, the same benefits could be derived from exercise similar to bicycling.

But don't discount two-wheeling when it comes to finding an effective way to improve your health.