Electric Bicycle Can Definitely Be An Exercise Tool to Help For Stroke Prevention
The globally respected Mayo Clinic had an interesting article on its website about stroke prevention in which bicycle riding was listed as an aerobic exercise recommended to reduce the risk of a stroke. This article got me thinking about how to realistically get people involved in aerobic exercise that they will continue to participate in and not get discouraged and quit. The logical answer is the electric bicycle.
We have all heard the ways to reduce the risk of a stroke:
-Don’t smoke or use illegal drugs;
-Drink alcohol in moderation if at all;
-Consume lots of fruits and vegetables;
-Obtain and maintain a healthy weight and control diabetes;
-Reduce the amount of saturated fats and cholesterol that we eat;
-Control high blood pressure; and
-Exercise Regularly.
It is the exercise regularly that I would like to focus on in this article. Not just exercise but aerobic exercise reduces your risk of stroke in many ways. Aerobic exercise can lower your blood pressure, increase your level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or “good”) cholesterol, and improve the overall health of your blood vessels and heart. This exercise in turn helps you lose weight, control diabetes and reduce stress. The Mayo Clinic recommended gradually working up to 30 minutes of activity – such as walking, jogging, swimming or bicycling – on most, if not all, days of the week.
This is an aggressive challenge for someone not used to an exercise regimen and especially not used to aerobic exercise. This is where I think an electric bicycle can really come into play. Every person is very different in establishing an exercise routine that works for the way they set habits and goals. Some people need very detailed plans listing types of exercise, specific days and times, and the methods to track results. Others need to be flexible and just set a general goal for the week and they achieve the results they need without all the specifics set up in advance. Whatever the type of person, the same success relies on a variety of cycling, walking or swimming, in order to achieve 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, 4 to 5 days a week.
It can be very daunting to think of going for just a 15 minute bike ride and think how intimidating then a 30 minute ride seems to the inexperienced rider. The electric bicycle can offer a great solution and make the task more obtainable and fun. If a person is enjoying the exercise of course they are going to be more likely to continue with the exercise. The electric bicycle usually has three options for the rider: just plain pedaling; power assisted pedaling; and just riding. Maybe a schedule could be walk and ride bicycle on alternate days. The electric bicycle gives you the three options and provides the confidence that if you get tired you can get home. Also, if you are at all concerned about your health, the e-bike gives you the riding back-up so you don’t need to worry about any health issues. No pain no gain can be reinvented with the electric bicycle less pain with all the gain!