5 Ways an Electric Bike Will Make You Healthier and Stay fit

Many of us are searching for the best solution to improve health and fitness. As indulgent Easter treats are finished off, many are consumed by an overwhelming fear of how long the road stretches before us to recover our bodies once more. Here are five good reasons why an electric bike can help you back inside your favourite clothes. 

Buying things is easy – a gym membership, an exercise bike, a Shakeweight – enjoy a free bit of dopamine for doing something noble, but with none of the attendant sweating. A great deal, right?

Using those things consistently to improve your health is the hard part, and bikes are no exception. According to the research, only 46% of conventional bikes are ridden once or twice per week[1]. For many, the mental image of inching up a hill, lungs and legs on fire, buffeted by wind, sleet, short of breath and short of time is enough to nip the idea of cycling in the bud. But think again... 

Electric bike owners find it much easier to muster their willpower, with 81% of e-bikes ridden once or twice a week and 33% every day.[2]

So sure, traditional cycling can be great at improving your health, but that depends heavily on how much – if at all – you do it.

And we all like to walk, right? Mmm... fresh country air, lovely strolls in the park - if only every walk took us along such routes - but practically, everyday walks are most likely errands and must-dos in the towns and cities we hope to escape when planning a treat-walk. Too often, we avoid the physical strains of conventional bikes and turn to the car to get the errand done. 

However, think again about the benefits of turning to the ebike, as a recent study [3] confirms the physical activity associated with electric cycling leads to positive changes in health outcomes, including cardiorespiratory, metabolic or psychological effects asking if physiological responses to riding an e-bike differ to those generated by other modes of active transportation (i.e. walking and conventional cycling)? In other words, e-bikes offer valid exercise and make you feel good, compared with walking and riding traditional bikes. 

The appeal of a conventional bike is that it’s all down to you. Your Pride. Total self-sufficiency. You versus the world making cycling a battle against gravity rather than a heart-lifting pleasure. But if you’re older, less fit, or have done all that “proving yourself” already, developing the initial fitness level necessary to enjoy that self-sufficiency can be a natural barrier to entry. It can actually result in injury if pushed too hard too soon.

With an e-bike, anyone can ease themselves into cycling. Start with high assistance, and you’ll be able to cover the 10 miles (45 mins) to work from the get-go. When your fitness improves, you can opt for less and less assistance until you achieve your personal goal. You’re then free to return to a mechanical bike (although we’ve never met someone who wants to.)

Variable assistance also lets you decide when you want to exert yourself. If it’s a faux pas to show up at your place of work ‘glowing’ with perspiration, then you might want to set the assistance to ‘high’ on the way there to stay fresh and low on the return journey for your workout - if your electric bike offers variable assistance that is (Juicy Bikes do).

People with injuries or mobility-limiting illnesses that would usually completely prohibit cycling (like arthritis) can improve their health on an e-bike without the unhelpful strain. Feel free to read some of our customer reviews for more than a few good examples.

An e-bike slots into your life in a lot of different places. Commutes, day trips, and excursions to the shops are all made less arduous by an electric motor. Without the prospect of being obstructed by a steep hill or bullied around by traffic (the quick and easy acceleration of an e-bike works wonders for your confidence on the road), you might find yourself swapping more and more car journeys for e-bike ones. These short, day-to-day journeys you used to take by car now contribute to your overall fitness.

Divorcing exercise from everyday living isn’t efficient. Just think of the person who drives to the gym to run on the treadmill. Since your trip to the corner shop to buy milk and a paper now constitutes what the authorities call ‘moderate exercise’, and you’re getting there faster than you would by car (e-bikes trump cars at journeys of under 3 miles), you can be sure that you’re getting the most out of your day. However, you might miss the exercise of placing a coin in a parking meter.

It’s common knowledge that exercise increases the number of blood vessels available to a given muscle. Usefully, the same is true for your brain – regular aerobic exercise (the sort gained by cycling on an electric bike) means a higher density of blood vessels throughout your grey matter. So a regular cyclist can expect what is effectively a physiologically ‘younger’ brain, thanks to a better supply of oxygen and nutrients. What’s more, the same pedalling triggers neurons to fire which stimulates their increased production, so you can expect many more of those, too.

While scientists aren’t settled on the exact mechanisms, it’s generally accepted that semi-frequent exercise can work to the same effect as some antidepressants and psychotherapy in treating moderate depression. A recent study showed that even 20 to 30 minutes of light exercise a day could prevent it over the long term. However, the same problems arise – there’s very little room in the modern worker’s schedule to get in even a 20-minute session. So an electric bike can quickly help you on your way to getting a serotonin boost.

So if you’re looking for a stick-withable way to de-stress, improve your memory, sleep better, feel better and lose weight, all on your terms, all the while having fun and going places, then might we recommend one of our fabulous electric bikes?

[1] Transport Research Laboratory report: ‘New Cycle Owners: expectations and experiences’ (Davies and Hartley 1998)

[2] Leeds University report: ‘The New Generation of Private Vehicles in the UK. Should their use be encouraged, and can they attract drivers of conventional cars?’ (Neil Guthrie 2001)

[3] International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Jessica E. Bourne, et al., Nov 2018