Last month my wife was looking at one of those massive electric bikes that can transport a family through the city jungle without almost no effort at all. In one sense these bikes are very practical because you can use bike lanes, streets and pedestrian streets and easily get through town even faster than with a car. For this reason I think this bike might be great as a transportation option however I am not confusing this with exercise or training.
I have met several people that have shifted over to an electric bike and think this is going to be enough exercise for them to keep fit and healthy. I have a small secret – it is not enough! I like the e-bike as a transportation option, but I don’t like the misconception that it is somehow enough for us to maintain fit. I now for a fact that this is how it is, people actually tell me “I got a bike and keeping fit on it” and when I ask if it is an e-bike they usually nod.
How do I know that it is not enough? The truth is even if you would bike on a regular bike it would not be enough so adding extra help with electric power will not give you more muscles or capacity. You will be able to cycle further and be more mobile but your health will not improve. More likely someone who uses a bike a lot will get back pain and shoulder pains from sitting in a bad posture for extended periods of time.
So what should you do?
If you have an e-bike, that is great but you will need to train in some other way. Maybe that bike allows you to get to spaces where you can swim, run and do other bodyweight training and in that case it is a huge win. If you want to train cardio and pump your legs a bit then it is better to get a regular bike and challenge yourself on doing some tours and that would be more deliberate training of course. You don’t have to through the e-bike out either, if it makes you spend more time outside that is of course great, just remember you will need to work on your fitness in some other way.
What do you think?
Share your comments below!
Cheers
Rickard