Cycling improves mental health, burn calories – experts

Nigerians have been encouraged to embrace sports, especially cycling, as it enormous benefits helps to burn calories, reduces air pollution and healthy living.

“Advantages of cycling include; improving mental health and immune system, boosts fitness. It also reduces emission of carbon mono oxide and other health threatening objects,” said Sunday Maku, the Kwara State Sector Commander, Corps Commander (CC), and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

The Corps in collaboration with Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN) in Ilorin the state capital on Tuesday joined the world to mark the 2018 World Bicycle Day, where over 20 cyclists participated in the cycling exercise which took off at the government house and terminated at the Kwara State stadium complex.

Maku while delivering the Corps Marshal Boboye Oyeyemi’s speech said: “The FRSC in collaboration with CFN and other advocates of cycling in the country have chosen to mark the 2018 World Bicycle Day on June 4 and 5 with the theme “Cycling for Fitness”.

“This resolution reached at the United Nations(UN) General Assembly was targeted at encouraging stakeholders to emphasise and advance the use if bicycle as a means of fostering sustainable development.

“Which is in tandem with other UN Declarations such as the Sustainable Development Goals and World Urban Agenda?

“It will be recalled that as part of campaigns and advocacies on the environmental, economic, social, health and other benefits of cycling, the benefits of cycling are almost as endless as the country lanes you could soon be exploring.

“If you are considering taking up cycling and weighing it against other potential activities, then we are here to tell you that cycling is hands down the best option.”

Amauche Nwaka, zonal commanding officer (ZCO) of the RS8 Ilorin Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM), also stated that, “we have been in the forefront of non-motorised transportation and what you can think of is the bicycle.

“And we are also trying to encourage Nigerians to exercise while transporting themselves from one point to the other.

“We want the general public to embrace cycling like the advanced world, where wealthy people ride to work and other places.

“It is time we threw away the mentality of once you do not have a big car; you are not wealthy or have not arrived. It’s not about riding a car but living healthy.

“The public should be enlightened more about cycling and since we emulate a lot in Nigeria, once the “who is who” in the society embraces it, others will buy into it also. At the end of the day, we will have less car crashes, healthy people and a healthy nation”, she said.

In his submission, Tunde Kazeem, the director of sports in Kwara State, who spoke on behalf of the state government congratulated the FRSC for the opportunity to commemorate the World Cycling Day.

He said: “Bicycles are for good health and it helps the longevity of our roads. We assure the FRSC of the government’s continued support for all your programmes and this is why we are here this morning to stand with you on cycling for fitness.”

“The benefits of cycling are enormous, yet we have neglected it, I urge both the young and the old to embrace it for safer roads and healthy living”, added Samuel Ayobola, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development.

One of the cyclists who identified himself as Ayo, while speaking with journalists opined that it is a good thing that the government is promoting cycling saying, “Cycling is being healthy while having fun, it simply makes you fit”.

SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin