Time and time again, biking has been proven to be a fantastic aerobic exercise for those looking to improve their overall health or to help recover from an injury*. Now, more people are able to experience the numerous health benefits that biking provides because of electric bikes. The addition of a light and powerful electric motor, as well as the expansion of the electric bicycle industry, has made biking possible for a wider audience. The health benefits aren’t exclusive to electric bicycles, and most research on the topic is related to traditional biking. But this is changing, and electric bikes are amplifying the benefits offered and helping more people.
A Note About Research
The studies that do exist confirm that electric bikes are a healthy form of exercise, especially as riding commonly replaces sedentary car trips. CleanTechnica very recently reported on a major study by the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (IJBNPA), which compiled the results of a variety of qualified ebike studies. The review found that ebiking provides more exercise compared to walking, while encouraging exercise in the daily life, which is much better than being sedentary. In addition, a 2016 study conducted by Colorado University found that ebikers burn 444 calories per hour of riding, just 20% less than what traditional cyclists burn.
Low-Impact, Yet Powerful Pedaling
The pedaling motion itself is what leads to many of the advantages that biking offers. The smooth pedaling motion reduces the strain that continuous impact places on joints and surrounding tissues, making biking a great alternative to exercises such as running or walking. This is especially helpful to individuals that have had joint injuries in the past, with knees and hips being among the most commonly injured. For those with mobility concerns, see our easy-access step-through ebike models!
The low-impact nature of biking also allows it to be a fantastic option for low-stress muscle strengthening and flexibility training for knees in particular. The pedal stroke revolution, which includes both bending and extension, works nearly every muscle in the leg and mimics much of what you’ll be experiencing in everyday life**. That means that the muscle growth experienced from biking, as well as the flexibility gained, will be applicable for many of the daily activities that an individual will face.
Not only is biking a great way to improve your overall physical fitness but it also offers many benefits to improve your cardiovascular fitness, as reported in the study by IJBNPA. Being an aerobic activity means that biking will continuously work your lungs, heart, and muscles for an extended period of time. For this reason, biking has often been seen as an excellent option for improving heart health and respiratory performance, lowering blood pressure, and improving many other cardiovascular functions.
For All Abilities
We believe that these aforementioned benefits can become applicable for an increased range of users, and even amplified in many cases, with the addition of electrical assistance. One of the most important aspects of remaining healthy is ensuring that you’re exercising within your abilities, and that is made much easier when you have a powerful electric motor there to help in case you need it. Not only will knowing that you have assistance give you peace of mind, but it could also help users get on the mend more quickly and extend their workouts longer. When recovering from injury it is important to pace yourself, so having the variability in effort needed will help allow people to get riding more quickly on an ebike than would be otherwise possible with a standard bicycle.
Here at Rad Power Bikes we truly believe that including a bicycle in your daily life can be extremely beneficial, so we’ve worked hard to make bikes accessible for as many people and for as many scenarios as possible, hence our motto “Built For Everything. Priced For Everyone.”
Not only are there significant cost savings and societal benefits associated with an increased biking population, we also think that it can lead to major improvements in an individual’s health. What more can you ask for than an activity that improves both your physical and mental health that fits right into your daily routine? It can be as simple as replacing your weekly trip to the grocery store in the car with a bicycle instead, or you can go with the more extreme route of becoming an everyday bicycle commuter. Even if you’re just looking to cruise with the twist throttle, sunshine and fresh air are sometimes just what we need!
*Please consult with your doctor if you have any medical concerns prior to riding a bike. Your physician will be the best able to recommend which exercise and rehabilitation is right for you.
**Be sure to consult Rad Power Bikes or your local bike shop to ensure that you’re choosing the correct size bike to get the correct extension on your pedal stroke. Over or under-extending your leg could hinder recovery or even, in extreme circumstances, cause damage to the impacted muscles or ligaments.
