Cycling, in any form, is considered one of the healthiest activities you can do. It gets the heart and lungs pumping and has very low impact on your body – it can improve your fitness, boost your immunity and wellbeing among a range of other health benefits.
But are the health benefits of riding an electric bike the same? Despite suffering accusations of cheating and having a motor to help you, you can see why electric bikes get some bad press, but the short answer is yes they are the same health benefits and they are definitely not cheating. They are enablers. People that perhaps are not fit enough to ride a non-electric bike can ride, they can enjoy the freedom it gives them and get fit too.
Here are our Top 10 health benefits of riding an electric bike
Firstly, the most important distinction to make is that ebikes are pedal cycles, not motorbikes. There is no throttle. You have to pedal. The motor simply tops up your effort and that’s the key point, you have to make an effort and any effort is exercise. How much effort you make is up to you. You can ride the bike with no assistance or use it’s maximum assistance to get up a steep hill you would never be able to do under your own steam. And that’s key too. Even riding with the assistance on full on a flat road to make it as easy as possible, it will get you to 15.5mph and then you are under your own steam. If you slow down the assistance will kick back in but you’ve made an effort and had some exercise in between. No matter where you ride or how long you ride, this principle is the same. On every ride you will get some moderate exercise. Fact.
Research has shown that in most cases, moderate physical activity is attained by riding an e-bike. It provides less intensity than conventional cycling, but more than walking. Riding an electric bike can improve the cardiorespiratory fitness for those who were previously inactive. In 2019, another research paper backed up the theory that ebikes deliver moderate-intensity exercise – even putting ebikes on a par with ordinary bikes for benefits. It tracked 10,000 people across seven European countries and found those who rode traditional bikes vs e-bikes amassed roughly the same amount of physical activity. In short, the benefit of the assistance was cancelled out by the longer distances and the more journeys ebike riders made.
Paul says: Anecdotally I can tell you many stories of customers that have come back and told me they ride further and farther than they ever did before. The bikes allow them to do it. They often report weight loss and tangible fitness gains too.
We’ve put to bed the myth that electric bikes are cheating, in fact research proves the contrary. So with the inevitable exercise you get riding an ebike, comes improved health overall and one of the main benefits is your cardiovascular health.
In short, cardiovascular health is about how efficiently your body can absorb and use oxygen, while expelling carbon dioxide. Think of your Heart, Lungs and Blood pumping around your body like an engine and therefore is directly related to your fitness. As you feel ‘fitter’ by default your cardiovascular health will have improved because you’ll find hills a bit easier for example. You won’t be breathing as hard for the same effort. Your engine is more efficient. As you pedal and put your body under a bit of effort or stress, your ‘engine’ gently adapts with your heart and lungs able to absorb more oxygen via more red blood cells. It’s a great benefit to have off the bike too. Just day to day stuff like walking up and down stairs at work or home will be easier. You will have more energy to play with the kids or grandkids. It’s a win.
Paul says: It doesn’t take long for you to feel the benefit of riding an electric bike. Sometimes within 1-2 rides
So we now know your cardiovascular system or engine is going to get fitter and more efficient by riding an electric bike. Your heart is a fundamental part of this but there are some specific benefits to heart health you can gain too.
Your heart is a muscle and like any muscle you have, if you work it, it will get bigger and stronger. For your heart this means it will be able to pump more blood at a similar or lower heart rate or less effort. In the long term, you’ll be able to see improvement this by checking your resting heart rate. As you get fit, your resting heart rate or pulse will be lower
Paul says: To check or monitor your resting heart rate, simply check your pulse when you wake up. If it goes up, it can also be a way to spot an illness like a cold too as your body begins to work a bit harder to tackle the bugs.
Your heart, one of your most important muscles is now getting bigger and stronger but you can’t see it, you can only feel it. However you will see improved muscle tone elsewhere. The more you ride, the more you use your legs which will lead to small muscle gains which will make them look a little more defined around your quads, hamstrings, calves and even your glutes. If you want a perky bum, ride a bike!
Additionally, riding a bike takes balance which means that your core will get a workout too. If you choose to ride a bit harder even arms can see some action too!
Paul says: If you ride a bike regularly, improved muscle tone is almost inevitable and will make you feel good about yourself when you see the results in the mirror
We’ve discussed how riding an ebike needn’t be too strenuous and will increase your physical activity. This means you will burn more energy. This can lead to weight loss. A goal so many people want to achieve. Any effort on your ebike will burn some energy regardless of how easy you make it and if you make that effort regularly your body will adapt and continue to burn energy when you are not riding too. This effect doesn’t last long however and will reverse if you don’t ride so to burn energy, calories and lose weight, it is important to ride regularly and maintain a healthy, calorie-controlled diet off the bike too.
Paul says: One of my customers lost 2 stone in a month by riding an electric bike and controlling their calorie intake. They looked and felt amazing.
A healthy body will always contribute to a stronger-functioning immune system. Although, you will never be able to fend off all illnesses, a stronger immune system will improve your chances of resisting simple colds and coughs. You may recover from illness faster too. Bike fitness is self-perpetuating. The more you ride, the fitter you get, the healthier you are, the more you ride and on it goes.
Paul says: It’s a cliché but prevention is always better than a cure. Riding an ebike is a great way to fend off those winter bugs.
We’ve discussed the tangible, physical benefits of riding an electric bike, so let’s talk about the mental health benefits. Exercise is widely known to be great way to look after our mental health. It can give your wellbeing a real boost if you are feeling low. A simple way of dealing with stress and anxiety. The NHS claims there is a 30% lower risk of depression for those taking part in physical activity. But the sheer enjoyment of what riding a bike can offer can really help lift spirits. You know that feeling when the endorphins kick in after doing some exercise? it just makes you feel awesome for a bit. You can have this after every ride on an electric bike. If you suffer from mental health issues, investing in an ebike might be part of the answer. Doctor’s regularly prescribe exercise for mental health conditions, proof enough an ebike can help.
Paul says: Cycling does help my mental health. If I have to take time off the bike due to work, for example, I can feel my mood slipping and then I go for a ride and I get a real boost after the hot shower and cup of tea afterwards.
The causes of major, long-term illnesses like diabetes, cancer and heart disease are diverse but one thing for sure is that if you can get fit or stay fit, by riding an ebike for example, it can help reduce your risk of developing a serious health condition. E-bikes are a sound choice for people for whom physical activity is important for better health but may be compromised by a clinical condition. Remember Ebikes are enablers and low impact. Ebikes can aid the self-management of those with Type-2 diabetes, for example, through weight loss, better health overall which could see a reduction in their medication.
Paul says: Personally I think fitness and illness run hand in hand, the less fit you are the more likely you are to get ill so doing some exercise can counter some of that risk. Prevention is better than cure again.
Riding your bike and gaining fitness is one thing but the thing that underpins any improvement is rest and recovery. In particular sleep. This is when the magic happens, and your body makes it’s little fitness gains for you. Regular riding will lead to better sleep which will make you feel better, and in turn you’ll then want to ride more. It’s another self-perpetuating benefit of exercise.
Sleep is vital for both our bodies and mind. It is a really important tool to ensure all the benefits we’ve talked about actually happen for you. Establishing and maintaining a regular sleeping pattern is important for everybody whether you ride or not but it will be easier to achieve if you do some exercise. Ride an electric bike, you’ll sleep better.
Paul says: There is no better sleep than after a tiring bike ride.
We are seeing more and more people are using electric bikes to speed up their rehabilitation post-surgery. The most common are hip replacements and knee surgery. Their surgeons advise them to be as mobile as they can to aid their recovery and ebikes are a great choice because of the low-impact and help the assistance can give them in the early stages of the process when they might not have the strength.
Paul says: I love these stories. Customers that really want to get back on their feet and back to full fitness as soon as possible so they get an electric bike and it works.
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About the Author
Paul is our IT & Technical Operations Manager and has been cycling for over 35 years with over a decade of industry experience as well.
Paul started racing when he was 16 years old and has raced all over the UK on the road, track and offroad. In 2009 he opened his own cycle shop and ran that for six years until he took a brief break from the industry before returning in 2017.
He has hung his racing wheels up now preferring to ride socially with the odd event. Touring is a new passion. He likes to pack up his panniers and go on a short tour and write about it on his blog.
Paul lives in North Worcestershire and has worked for The Electric Bike Shop since 2020. He is one our most experienced cyclists and industry professionals.
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