Light exercise is universally recommended by medical professionals to improve health and protect against disease. But if you are unused to exercise, getting started can be daunting. Here are a few ways e-bikes can support you on the road to fitness.
Prescription e-bike
A little bit of exercise can make a huge difference. In fact, cycling is so beneficial to health that a new scheme in the UK now allows doctors to prescribe cycling instead of medication!
Professor Chris Oliver, Honorary Professor in Physical Activity for Health at the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, is an advocate for encouraging more people to cycle regularly: “If you are physically active for 30 minutes a day you might live longer - as much as 7 years longer than the average population at the moment.”
People who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing many long-term health conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.
Light exercise is recommended by doctors if you are recovering from a serious illness such as a heart attack, or to improve lung-function and manage symptoms if you have breathing difficulties.
Everyone can e-cycle
Do you feel too unfit to even start cycling? Riding an ordinary bike can be a daunting task. When you take up cycling after an illness or if you are new to exercise, it is normally advised to keep the exercise gentle so there is not too much strain on your heart or lungs.
How do you keep your heart rate low and breathe easily while riding a bike? With the help of an e-bike.
E-bikes have an electric drive unit that supports your own pedal power so you can ride a little further and a little faster than you could on your own. When you reach a hill, your bike takes the strain so you can maintain a more even effort throughout your ride. No huffing or puffing, no grinding to a stand-still or getting off your bike because you have run out of energy.
E-bikes make longer and more frequent rides possible for everyone. The electric drive unit support makes cycling, even in a hilly place, ‘light’ exercise.
E-bike your way to health in just 30-minutes daily
Thirty minutes of cycling a day might seem a lot if you are currently not cycling at all. But, if you use your bike for your daily tasks of going to the shops or to work, this time will quickly add up. Most research into e-bike use has shown that once people have an e-bike, it encourages them to ride further and more often than they did with an ordinary bike. Instead of making exercise an extra chore in your day, an e-bike can simplify your life.
By investing only 30 minutes of e-cycling a day you’ll feel healthier, stronger and be better protected against illness.
Do electric bikes have health benefits?
Electric bikes do have health benefits! The electric drive unit is supporting you to cycle further and faster but you as the rider are still contributing to the pedal power. Most importantly, an e-bike encourages you to ride more frequently so you can easily achieve the challenge of 30 minutes of exercise every day.
In 2022, a team of researchers reviewed the current information on the benefits of e-cycling to physical well-being. They compared the benefits of e-cycling to walking or riding a conventional bike. The outcome revealed that e-bikes do have a benefit to some of the markers of physical health, such as heart rate and oxygen uptake.
In Shimano’s 2022 State of the Nation survey into attitudes to e-bikes, 32% of Europeans said that awareness of how e-biking might improve their personal health and fitness was a motivating reason to buy or use an e-bike.
If you think riding an e-bike is cheating, then you should probably check out some of the other myths about e-bikes!
A bike ride a day keeps the doctor away
Regular e-cycling will reduce your risk of serious disease and ease symptoms of chronic illnesses. It can even reverse some types of illness. According to Professor Oliver, “if you cycle regularly you can expect to lose up to 10 kg in a year. We know that if you have type-2 diabetes losing 10 kg of body fat could be enough to put you into remission.”
Not only can e-cycling help you increase your life expectancy through improved health it can also bring joy and fun to your life. E-cycling has benefits for your mental well-being.
It’s a simple prescription – 30-minutes of e-cycling every day to improve your physical health.
Ready to get on your bike? Find the right e-bike for you and start your cycling journey.
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