12 Reasons Why Motorcycle Riding Is Actually Good For Your Health

Great for your emotional and mental health

Listing this benefit as the first one on the list comes natural, given that it is an immediate effect described by your friends, as shown earlier. Many people might think of health only in terms of the physical body, but the thing is that mental health is equally important.

When you want to escape the stress of day by day living, a ride on the back of a motorcycle can work wonders for your mood. Yes, it is the same feeling of freedom bikers talk about. For a while, you can leave all your worries behind, and that can make you truly happy.

The studies say that it is a proven fact that riding a motorcycle stimulates the production of endorphins. That, in turn, will increase your energy levels and will give you a better outlook on life. After a great ride, you may return home and feel like you can take your problems head-on with ease.

It’s good exercise for your core

When you ride a motorcycle, you need to maintain an upright position, and that immediately stimulates your core muscles. Even if you don’t ride your bike as often as others, short trips will still offer your muscles the possibility to strengthen as you simply do nothing but sit correctly in the saddle.

With a strong core, also comes stability. If you ever envied bikers for their shape, now you know the reason. They give their core muscles an excellent workout, and that without spending hours at the gym.

You can offer your neck and back muscles a pleasant form of therapy

For this benefit to happen, you need to make sure that your bike is outfitted correctly and that your position is also correct when you sit in the saddle. If all these conditions are met, you will be able to benefit from another great advantage offered by motorcycle riding.

This correct position will increase the strength in your back and neck. If you hear some people complain about pains in these muscles when they ride a bike, that happens because they do not have a correct position. As you can easily imagine, straining your neck all the time will cause you trouble, so avoid it.

It is essential to have the right type of helmet, too. One that is too heavy will make you feel a strain on the muscles of your neck and back. So, when you go shopping for a helmet, make sure that you know what model would be a good fit for you. Materials like fiberglass are designed to be durable, but also lightweight.

Build muscles in your thighs and get stronger knees

The number one reason why many people don’t like going to the gym is the difficulty to face physical challenges that come with exercising. The whole point is to exercise, but without straining too hard, and that means that you need to adjust what exercises you can perform.

However, that can be a tricky thing in itself. Therefore, it is better to opt for the type of exercise that works for your physical condition. Motorcycle riding is ideal, especially for the muscles of your thighs, as well as for your knees.

As you need to use these parts of the body for sitting correctly on your bike, you will give your thighs and knees a little bit of workout. In due time, you will notice your muscles getting tones and a bit of definition, and you will do all that without having to go to the gym and experience an inferiority complex toward the people who go there and appear to be in perfect shape.

It may help you with calorie burning

It might not be precisely the type of exercise you envision when you want to burn a lot of calories, but motorcycle riding can, indeed, help. Unlike driving a car, riding your bike involves some effort, and that will surely help with your overall physical condition.

As you can see, even if moderately, motorcycle riding can help you lose a bit of weight. Plus, you will do it while having fun, which is something you cannot overlook. Compared to the tedious hours you would have to spend at the gym, this kind of activity is better.

You develop a higher capacity to concentrate

From negotiating curves to steering and many other operations you have to perform while on a bike, your mind gets involved to a high degree. It surely takes more concentration to ride your bike than to drive a car, and that’s another benefit for your mental health. You might even be surprised by how easier it will be for you to maintain a good level of concentration in other areas of your life.

It is beneficial for your cognitive functions

Just like the benefit for the capacity to concentrate described earlier, motorcycle riding is a good workout for your brain in various ways. Your cognitive functions will get to be put to good use as you make decisions while on the road.

Bikers are less stressed than car drivers

Now here’s a morsel that counts as food for thought. According to some studies, motorcycle riders are less stressed than car drivers. It might be because you are more in control and you can avoid stressful situations like traffic jams – since a motorcycle is much easier to squeeze through narrow places than a car.

Also, that means that you don’t experience the much common road rage. Bikers are surely calm people compared to many car drivers. Therefore, they have lower levels of stress, which is a big plus.

It teaches you a skill and stimulates your brain

Motorcycle riding is an excellent activity for your mind. It is also a skill that demands you to tap into the mental resources you have at your disposal. Your brain will not stay idle while you get the hang of what it means to ride a bike. That will help with keeping your mind in top shape, and, for people who are no longer young, it could postpone the risks associated with aging.

It is great for your confidence

Motorcycle riding is a great way to improve confidence. Studies also show that when you ride a bike, you get a rush of adrenaline and that chemical in your blood propels you into action. The significant part is that you are in control, and you’re on top of the situation by steering the bike, riding it, and getting to your destination.

The success of your actions will give you a boost of confidence, and that will make you trust in your abilities better. In a nutshell, it is excellent for you and your self-esteem.

It improves insulin sensitivity

Because it is pretty much like a low-impact, low-intensity exercise, riding a motorcycle is beneficial for your health in other ways, too. One of them is that it can improve insulin sensitivity, which means that you are less exposed to the risk of developing diabetes than people who don’t exercise at all.

It is a sort of meditation

While it’s true that your mind remains engaged with all the decisions that you need to take while on the road, your mind gets a break from overthinking about stressful things. In a way, motorcycle riding is like meditation, and it offers you the possibility to get a much-deserved break from the pointless issues that might have been bothering you.

Some bikers even compare riding a motorcycle with Zen, a state of peacefulness with oneself that’s usually acquired through meditation.