Electric Bikes - Fitness That's Easy On Your Joints

Health Benefits of Cycling

Cycling is good for your health, we all know that. Cycling will improve: cardiovascular health, muscle tone, blood circulation, mental health, stamina to name but a few. It gets better, by building fitness into your lifestyle you are reducing your risk of diseases such as diabetes and improving your chance of a healthier, happier future, no surprises so far. But why choose cycling as opposed to running? Added to that, why choose an electric bike over a manual bike? We have a few very good answers for you, read on!

The Science Bit

Your knees are synovial joints, part of your body’s cunning mechanism to deal with the forces placed on the knees during activity. The joint is surrounded by a synovial membrane which secretes synovial fluid. Additionally. the bony surface of the joint is protected by cartilage and the whole joint is enclosed within a protective capsule.

Anatomy of knee joint lateral view

Why Cycling is Better for Your KneesKnees are a brilliantly designed joint that should give us few problems if we take care of them. According to Harvard Health Publishing’s article (1), the force on your knees when walking is 1½ times your body weight. Research (2) from The Chester Knee Clinic and cartilage repair centre demonstrates that running can increase the forces on knees by up to 550% of your bodyweight. In 2006 MA Kessler et al.(3) Am J Sports Med May 2006 34:832-836 noted a significant reduction in the volume of cartilage during long distance running, cartilage is an essential shock absorber and lubricant allowing smooth, pain-free movement, without it we experience constant pain. Why put your knees through that trauma?

Cycling - Good for Knees, Good for You

Some weight bearing exercise is important to increase bone density and fight osteoporosis. As muscles work they pull on your bones causing osteoblast cells within your bone to create more bone tissue. The key is moderation. The smooth action of cycling keeps your knee and ankle joints protected from shock as they power the pedals in a circular motion all in one plane of movement, crucially with no jarring. Muscles work to create the movement, still exerting force on the bone but without the high impact of repeatedly pounding the ground.

The advantages of an electric bike

Electric bikes are for everyone. If you are fit already, want to get fit, recovering from injury, keen to explore the countryside, looking to commute without harming the environment or simply want to cycle without stress, in our world, no-one gets left behind. The long-lasting battery power is there if and when you need it, anyone to take advantage and gain the benefits of cycling. Electric bikes open a world of possibilities, climb higher, go further, see more, get fit and protect your joints.

A few of the many advantages of electric bikes: