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The Netherlands is the only country in the world with more bicycles than residents. By 2023, the Netherlands has a total of about 25 million bicycles, with an ownership rate of 1.35 bikes per person. One study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that in the Netherlands cycling prevents about 6, 500 early deaths each year, and that Dutch people have 1.5 years longer life expectancy (预期寿命) due to cycling.
"The time spent cycling was about 74 minutes per week for Dutch adults aged 20 to 90 years. The time was fairly stable over adulthood and reached its apex in the early days of retirement, in one's 60s. The death rate reduction, which was a direct result of the average time spent cycling for a certain age group, was therefore also the highest among the seniors who just retire, " said Jeremy Smith, an expert from NIH.
What is it that makes cycling so beneficial? Obviously, cycling is a form of exercise. It is a great form of cardio (有氧的) exercise , which gets your heart pumping and helps strengthen the heart muscle. Doing cardio may also help lower your blood pressure.
Furthermore, solid evidence proves the link between cycling and better thinking skills. Even younger adults claim that a bike ride helps shift their thinking to a higher level — and research backs them up. In one small study, healthy, young men are required to cycle for 30 minutes everyday for 3 weeks. They also completed a series of cognitive ( 认 知 的 ) tests before and afterward. After cycling, they scored higher on memory, reasoning and planning, and they were able to finish the tests more rapidly than before.
Besides all the benefits mentioned above, cycling, as many Dutch put it, is a way of life. In their simplest form, bikes are tools for travelling. But they're so much more. They are cognitive improvement, environmental protection, satisfaction and an expression of freedom. They bring people of same passion together and connect them to a greater journey of life.
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