HOW TO USE AN E-BIKE TO GET FIT
Posted by Tom Lee on
Improved health, more fun
We’ve all heard statements like ‘e-bikes are for lazy people’ or ‘riding an e-bike is cheating’ but we can promise you, that is far from the truth. E-bikes are actually a great piece of equipment to help you get fit! If you haven’t exercised in a while or suffer from health challenges and barriers, an e-bike could be just the thing to get you back on the saddle and building your fitness.
A low impact form of exercise
Cycling, and especially e-biking, is a great way to get moving without putting excessive strain on your joints and muscles. Activities like running are classed as high impact and, regardless of the health benefits, can easily become the cause of much pain and injury if your technique is slightly off. This worry is lessened when cycling as the smooth movements put less strain on your joints and muscles, even when you’re pushing yourself to new limits. We say it’s time to pick up the e-bike!
Varying levels of assistance
You don’t need to spend your whole ride with maximum support. Most e-bikes will come with a range of assistance levels that each require varying rider effort. Starting off using your e-bike in higher levels, and relying on them less and less over time as your fitness builds, is a good method to reach new health heights. By training your body to gradually need the extra assistance less, you can build your stamina in a way that works for you.
Commuting and transport
It is advised that you should do 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75-100 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week or an equivalent combination of both. That’s about 2 and ½ hours a week. What better way to squeeze this in than during your commute? Due to the ability to change assistance levels, an e-bike can be used for moderate or vigorous exercise, meaning you can make your commute as easy or challenging as you like! E-biking to commute ensures you are moving every day and doesn’t hinder your schedule. You may even be surprised at how quick e-bikes can go! Time for a coffee before work?
Riding somewhere new
Increased motivation. You can get bored riding the same routes around your local area and find cycling becomes a bit of a chore. E-bikes open up trips beyond your immediate community. With the support of electric components, worrying about the inability to make it home is non-existent! If you’re struggling, just ramp up the assistance and glide until you feel ready to push again.
An e-bike is a great tool to help get your fitness back and we can’t recommend it enough! Why not give it a go?
