BACK IN THE SADDLE

Recovering from any major illness or injury often requires a great deal of personalised physiotherapy and a tailor-made routine for building back the fitness that was lost over time. But while different exercise regimes might suit certain recovery needs better, cycling stands out as the best all-round, low-impact activity for regaining strength, stamina and a sense of mental wellbeing.

The benefits of cycling played a large part in my own recovery from open-heart surgery in 2017, providing a framework around which I could build a full return to – and even improvement on – my previous fitness level.

LAY THE FOUNDATIONS

In a study at Canada’s McMaster University, patients awaiting bypass surgery who cycled 30 minutes, twice a week, before their operation, reported a better quality of life six months post-op. Those findings