It is well known that eBikes can help to improve your physical health by getting you out riding and exercising. However eBikes can also help to greatly improve your mental health at the same time. In the current climate of uncertainty looking after your mental health is more important than ever.
Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Riding an eBike is a great way to help reduce stress and anxiety in your daily life. The physical exercise of riding an eBike means your body will release endorphins, sometimes called the ‘happy hormone’. This will lead to an improvement in your general mood and reduced feelings of anxiety. Research has shown that just 150 minutes of exercise a week can provide a significant improvement in mental wellbeing.
Riding an eBike, be that as part of a daily commute or for leisure, also provides an opportunity for mindfulness. E-bike riding and the action of pedaling help to keep you engaged while you are riding, meaning that your mind is focused solely on the action of cycling and your surroundings. Not only does your mind get a distraction and break from disruptive thoughts, stress, depression, or anxiety, but it helps you focus on being in the present and keeps you calm.
Increased Sense of Independence
Feeling independent and self sufficient are incredibly important to maintaining good mental health. Independence helps to boost your self esteem and increasing how you value yourself. eBikes have become an excellent way for people to maintain their independence as eBikes are more accessible to people who may be daunted by the physical exertion or unable to ride a traditional bike.
The assistance offered by an eBike also means that people are able to travel further on an eBike than they may be able to on a traditional bike meaning that they can be independent and sulf sufficient within a larger territory. It is for these reasons that an eBike is a great option for maintaining the independence and mental health of people with physical disabilities or the elderly.
Improve Productivity, Focus and Cognitive Function
As well as improving your general mood, riding an eBike can help to improve your focus, memory and other cognitive functions. The light aerobic exercise of riding an eBike leads to increased blood flow to the brain. This increased blood flow to the brain and most importantly the hippocampus (the part of the brain that deals with memory) has been show to counteract the natural decline in function due to aging in studies performed at the University of Reading.
Riding an eBike also helps to fight against feelings of fatigue and ‘brain fog’, the increased blood flow around the body will make you feel more alert and more likely to be productive in your day.
Improve Social Life
It is easy to become withdrawn and feel isolated when you are struggling with your mental health. However, socialising is one of the best things you can do to help when experiencing stress, anxiety or depression. A bike ride with a friend or your family is a great way to socialise as many people find it easier to socialise whilst performing an activity instead of just sitting for a coffee.
An eBike makes this activity more accessible to people that previously may have felt daunted by riding a traditional bike or unable to keep up with their friends and family. At Wisper we have heard many first hand accounts of people being able to rejoin family bike rides or stay part of their local cycling club because of the assistance that an eBike offers to them.
Get Outdoors and Explore
One of the most simple ways that riding an eBike can improve your mental health is that it is something you do outdoors. Countless studies have show than spending time outdoors will improve your mood, cognitive functions and reduce feelings of anxiety. Spending time outdoors in the sunlight helps your body to gather Vitamin D even in Britain!
An eBike allows you to explore the countryside in a way that you may not have otherwise been able to. Riding an eBike through nature allows you to slow down, pay attention to your surroundings and just enjoy ‘being’ without the discomfort that some may feel when riding a traditional bike.