Five Surprising Health Benefits of Motorcycle Riding
POSTED 07-12-17
Ever heard the expression “free your mind, and the rest will follow?” Well, the adage may as well be applied to the long-term benefits of a healthy relationship with motorcycle riding. Don’t take our word for it, just consider how the positive benefits of regularly riding a motorcycle begin with the brain. When motorcycling make sure you have the protection you need with a Slipstreamer universal windshield.
Benefit #1 - Increase Your Brain Power on a Motorcycle
We would all love that perfectly toned body, but let’s not forget to appreciate the important role an active and healthy brain plays in achieving our physical goals. Don’t drive a car, ride a bike. When we sit a car, our bodies are sedentary, almost entirely at rest. However, navigating a motorcycle requires physical and mental work. Mentally, a bike activates the prefrontal areas of the brain, or in other words, the concentration required while riding keeps your brain functioning at its current prime and can even establish higher levels of cognitive function.
Benefit #2 - Improve Your Mental Health With Motorcycle Riding
In addition to keeping your brain functioning at its optimal level, motorcycle riding has been shown to positively impact mental health. Your mood improves and your stress reduces as you cruise down scenic back roads. Each time you accelerate on the bike, you feel a rush of adrenaline. Well, that’s your body releasing endorphins, which not only feels great but helps improve your mood as well. When you add your increased sun exposure and all of the extra Vitamin D you’ll absorb, you’re looking at a happy and healthy mind. As substantial as the mental benefits of motorcycle riding are, they’re significantly physical as well.
Benefit #3 - Enhance Your Core Strength and Stability by Motorcycle Riding
Amazing, right? Enjoying a scenic ride through the country can improve core strength. You have to work out your core just to keep yourself upright on a bike. By maintaining the correct posture, you are working the core, strengthening your neck, and working those back muscles. Now, factor in some wind and you are definitely working yourself out with an easy low-impact exercise.
Benefit #4 - Don’t Skip Leg Day - Ride a Motorcycle
Riding a motorcycle can also strengthen your knees and thighs. Rather than spending hours in the gym doing squats and deadlifts, consider the benefits of the bike. It requires you to use your knees and thighs, but without straining them too much. Over time, you’ll build muscle while eliminating any pains.
Benefit #5 - Burn More Calories - Motorcycles are a Total Body Workout
Riding takes effort, especially compared to driving in a car. Not only is it a physical and mental workout, but it increases your insulin sensitivity too, which helps your metabolism and will help you burn calories and store less fat. While burning these calories, you’re also gaining a full body workout. Considering that most motorcycles usually weigh at least a few hundred pounds, riders must use their bodies to help safely balance and steer. These demands use nearly every muscle, which, over time, improves muscle tone. So the next time you fret about wasting hours at the gym, try getting that mental and physical fitness in by doing something you already love - like motorcycling, and when you do, make sure you have the protection you need with a Slipstreamer universal windshield! Search Slipstreamer’s universal windshields here.