Listen to our weekly podcast where we talk all things cycling for our global community of 50+yr old cyclists who support each other to love life through riding our bikes.
Hosted by cycling enthusiasts, Norman Blissett from Scotland and Chris Foggin from New Zealand, we share inspiring stories from riders all over the world, showcase fabulous places to cycle and give tips and advice.
#25 - Can MTB Really Help Your Mental Health?
You might think to yourself how does Mountain Biking coincide with mental health? Well in fact research shows MTB can leave a great positive impact on people’s mental health.
In this week’s episode, we have a guest with a very important role. Meet Paul MacFarlane, a Trail Therapy Mountain Bike Leader who is running this program in association with Scottish Cycling.
This program is unlike anything you have seen before as a treatment for mental health wellbeing. It has received recognition from California, Spain, South America and more for the unique way it offers treatments to those dealing with mental health issues.
It is a program based on the idea of combining nature and physical exercise. The project aims to take the patient away from a traditional ‘clinical’ environment and provide them with self-management skills to improve their physical and mental well-being.
It is reported that 1 in 4 people will experience mental health issues in England. Everyone has their own journey with mental health and not all treatments work the same for each person. This is why it is crucial to have a project such as this that aims to get patients outdoors and heal through nature and exercise.
Listen in as Paul discusses how this project came to fruition, what it involves and how this program has positively impacted many people.
“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.”
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
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