There are many motorcycle riding benefits you may not be aware of. It’s about more than the open road, and this article will show you why.
Motorcycles increase in popularity every year, and in some states, there is 1 per every 12 people.
It’s no wonder they are so popular because riding a bike is equal parts of pleasure, fear, exhilaration, and relaxation. You might not have realized it, but there are many health benefits to getting out on a motorcycle and hitting the open road.
Keep reading to learn more about the many motorcycle riding benefits you will achieve for your mental and physical well being.
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Improve Your Mental Health
Riding a motorcycle can have a positive impact on your mental health and well being.
As soon as you hit the road and cruise around on the scenic back roads, your stress melts away, and your mood immediately improves. When you increase your speed, you feel a rush of adrenaline, and your body releases endorphins. These endorphins also improve your mood by making you happy.
Getting outside in the fresh air and sunshine is also great for your mental state. The exposure of sunshine gives your body much needed Vitamin D, which can also help enhance your mood. Vitamin D is also great for your body by helping regulate your immune system and build strong bones.
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Increase Your Brain Power
Not only can you count on improving your overall mental health, but you can also increase your brain functions when riding a motorcycle.
When you sit in a regular car, your body is entirely at rest. When driving or riding a bike, you need to not only engage your body but be mentally aware as well.
Navigating a bike requires you to pay more attention and concentrate. This activates the prefrontal area of your brain and keeps it functioning at its prime. This level of stimulation can keep you thinking sharply and can even help you establish a higher level of cognitive function.
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Sensory Reaction
When you are on a motorcycle, it requires you to pay more attention to your environment. When you are riding in a car, you can sit back and relax and not worry about the weather or if there are any bumps in the road. But when you are riding on a bike, you can’t afford to zone out, and you have to be more connected to the world around you.
The sensory reaction is what most riders enjoy—the feeling of being one with the road and noticing when the temperature shifts slightly or the smell of the air when riding near the water or if it’s going to rain. Unfortunately, this can also make you more vulnerable than if you were riding in a car.
If you aren’t careful and have a lapse in your attention while driving, you may find yourself in an accident. If this happens to you, you can reach out to this practice for help if you are injured in an accident.
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Enhance Your Core Strength
When riding a motorcycle, you will not only be out enjoying the sunshine. You will be improving your core strength. To remain upright on a bike, you have to work out your core muscles. To maintain sitting up straight and having good posture, you also have to strengthen and work your back muscles and neck.
If you also factor in moving the bike around curves and corners and bringing it back up straight, you will notice your abs and back getting quite a workout. You can also get a low-impact exercise and burn some calories if you have extra wind resistance to your front or your back.
Some motorcycles, usually sport bikes, have the riders sit in an upright position with their chest out and forward. This position engages the body and mind to be ready for action.
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Stronger Legs
Bike riders will also notice that their thighs and knees become stronger after riding routinely. Riding a motorcycle requires you to use your thighs and knees to keep the heavy bike balanced and upright—meaning you can skip leg day at the gym.
One of the best parts is you won’t have to strain your legs much while riding so you can gradually build these muscles and avoid pain while doing so. Some bike riders have fewer knee problems due to riding strengthening the muscles required to hold the patella and other bones in the knee in place.
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Better Balance
When your core and legs are strong, you can hold your balance a lot easier. Balance is especially critical when you are riding on a motorcycle since you need to keep the bike upright. But this is also a significant improvement in your everyday life as well.
Having good balance makes it easier for you to move and can keep you from falling and injuring yourself. Better balance is especially important as you grow older because you will have better control over your body and can maintain your standing or sitting position easier.
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Low-Impact Workout
Riding a motorcycle is more physically demanding than driving in a car. Not only do you work your mind, but you also work your body, which increases your insulin sensitivity. This low-impact workout will help your metabolism increase and can help burn calories and not store fat.
Using your whole body to balance and steer, you will notice that your arms will begin to tone and shape. Your neck will be more muscular from wearing a helmet, sitting upright, and not stooped forward. The vertebrae in your neck will begin to return to its proper alignment and resume its adequate curvature at the top of your spine.
Discover More Motorcycle Riding Benefits
These are just some of the main motorcycle riding benefits you will experience for your mental and physical health.
You will notice an improved sensory and cognitive reaction from being out on the open road. Plus, you will also have a stronger core, balance, and muscle strength from having to maneuver the heavy bike around the twists and turns on the scenic back routes.
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