Necessity is the mother of all innovations. And with global warming becoming an increasingly alarming threat to humanity, it’s no wonder that innovators and experts have been focusing on green transportation alternatives. Among the rising trends in environmentally-friendly transport technologies is the electric bike. Let’s see the health and environmental benefits of riding an electric bike.
Electric bikes come in all sizes and shapes, catering to just about any cyclist. From the adventurous trail cyclist to a laid-back commuter, more and more people seem to be investing in e-bikes. Because why not? They are truly one of transportation’s very own miracles.
But before you jump into this new trend, you first have to learn about how it can benefit you. And we sure got some ideas in mind.
Let’s start with the health benefits you can get from cycling with electric bikes.
Health Benefits of Riding an Electric Bike
Cycling is not just a hobby, but also a sport. And like many sports, it helps keep your body in shape when done correctly and in moderation.
Now, do you still need convincing with how cycling can help your overall health and wellness? Here are the different health benefits you can get from riding an electric bike.
1. Improves Heart Health
First of all, electric bikes help improve your cardiac health.
Like any other cardiovascular exercise, cycling using an electric bike does keep your heart strong! In fact, proven that low-impact exercise like riding an electric bike helps build stamina more consistently.
Likewise, cycling is a form of aerobic exercise. And according to health experts, aerobic and strength training are best for improving heart health. With cycling, you can improve your blood circulation, thereby reducing blood pressure and enhancing heart health.
Some studies also claim that cycling can increase cardiac output and cardiovascular fitness.
For positive results, you should allot at least 30 minutes at least 5 days a week for your cardio exercises.
2. Burns Calories
Now, let’s talk numbers. In that 30 minutes of cycling, you can already be burning around 298–372 calories, depending on your speed.
Aside from speed, there are also other factors to consider when calculating calories burned. Some of the factors that may require more effort from you include weight, rolling resistance, and aerodynamics. Most of these factors are more apparent in outdoor settings. For such a reason, outdoor cycling often burns more calories than indoor cycling for the same speed and duration.
You might not know this but, electric bikes help maintain a habit of cycling. That is the good thing about e-bikes. It may not give you the rigorous exercise of traditional cycling, but it does help you build a healthy habit. Because an e-bike is not as exhausting as a traditional bike. And with assisted pedaling, you can take longer rides that would take you to see more views and explore more places.
So, the bottom line is, even a short 30-minute trip outdoors can help you burn excess calories. So, those who are trying to reach some weight and body goals can undoubtedly turn to cycling with e-bikes.
3. Reduces Stress
The first two benefits are too common for both traditional and electric bikes alike. But since electric bikes provide you with extra power, you can also reduce stress. And we’re talking about both physical and mental stress.
Electric bikes offer several levels of pedal assist. So, if you want to take a breather from your cycling workout for a few miles, you can simply rely more on your e-bikes motor to keep you going. By choosing the level of assistance you’re comfortable with, you reduce the stress on your joints and muscles. E-bikes thus give you an option for moderate workouts.
Lastly, the great thing with e-bikes is that you can switch back to less output power if you want a more strenuous workout. This can thus take away any worries about your cycling capacity.
Environmental Impacts of Using an Electric Bike
Although the list goes on for the health benefits of electric bikes, that’s enough to cover the essential parts. It’s time you learn precisely how cycling with e-bikes helps the environment. After all, these innovative vehicles were made with the environment in mind.
Let’s dive into the environmental impacts of using electric bikes instead of other means of transportation.
1. Zero Emission
Electric bikes may have a motor, but these are battery-powered and rechargeable. As such, electric bikes produce zero emissions. So, while you’re riding your e-bike, you won’t be releasing any air pollutants.
By reducing air pollutants, you can help prevent further destruction of the ozone layer. You’ll also be decreasing the amount of pollutants in the atmosphere, thus reducing the risks of smog and temperature increases.
2. Reduces Carbon Footprint
Since there are zero emissions from e-bikes, you can also reduce your own carbon footprint. You can bike for miles and miles, and still have no emissions to further damage the atmosphere.
And as long as you charge your e-bike using renewable energy, you can rest assured that each biking trip will bring down your carbon footprint to almost zero.
Electric bikes and their batteries are also long-lasting. Most lithium-ion batteries can last up to 5 years. And even then, after its lifespan, a lithium-ion battery can still be recycled.
3. Handy and Spacesaver
Lastly, riding an e-bike is convenient, especially for cities. It can prevent traffic in cities, thus helping to solve congestion. And with more bikes on cycling-friendly roads, cities can also decrease crash rates.
Additionally, e-bikes are handy and can easily fit into small spaces so you won’t have to spend more energy and money on extra lights and heating for a garage. You can simply bring your bike inside your apartment and store it in a corner near the entrance.
Studies and experts alike agree that electric bikes provide health benefits. It can help improve heart health, burn calories, and reduce both physical and emotional stress.
In addition to its numerous health benefits, riding e-bikes also brings positive environmental impacts. These environmental benefits include reduced carbon footprint, improved recycling efforts, and decreased congestion.
So, the popularity of electric bikes isn’t the only thing making it worth your purchase. The various health and environmental benefits that go with it are all worth it for a transition from traditional to green and alternative transportation.
If you want to know what the best electric bike fits for you and how they work, and how they workcheck out The Ultimate Electric Bike Buying Guide!
By Trevor Fenner
About the author:
Trevor Fenner is the founder of Electric Bike Paradise, the #1 online retailer of electric bikes, electric scooters, electric skateboards, mobility scooters, electric wheelchairs, and electric golf caddies. Trevor has been selling bicycles, electric bikes, and electric scooters online since 2010 and eventually established Electric Bike Paradise in late 2013 when he happened to meet a car enthusiast that introduced him to electric bikes. Trevor spent time searching for electric bikes online but couldn’t find a website that offered a wide selection of electric bikes, scooters, and informational articles. That is why he decided to start a website where everyone can shop conveniently, browse buying guides, and read educational posts.The website is called Electric Bike Paradise.
