Riding a scooter is a hassle-free way to enjoy the view and explore. You’re outdoors, traveling to places, and moving your body effortlessly as you ride; but, the question remains, “Is riding a scooter exercise?” To answer this, let’s get some facts straight.
It’s important to acknowledge that riding a scooter does not offer the same benefits as dedicated exercises like running and weightlifting. However, it does come with its own set of physical and mental health benefits.
For one, riding a scooter for 30 minutes offers the same health benefits as jogging or golfing. Interestingly, it’s also known that riding an exercise scooter for adults is a low-impact, calorie-burning activity that may aid in weight loss.
Although you may not get a significant amount of benefits like strength and power from this “two-wheel workout,” here are some specific reasons riding a scooter is considered a form of exercise.
Health Benefits of Scooter Exercises
1. Improves Coordination
Riding a scooter entails balance and control as you shift gears and press on the brakes. As you lift your feet off the ground and allow the motorcycle to support your weight, you’re already performing a low-impact exercise.
Think of it as your gym on two wheels. As you move, your glutes, hamstrings, and calves are put under stress. As you pull yourself back, your quads are also exercised to help you stop at traffic lights.
As you reach for the bars, your delts, triceps, shoulders, and lats are engaged. Plus, your forearms are pumped as you operate the brakes, clutch, and throttle.
2. Strengthens Neck Muscles
Scooter exercise improves your neck strength. Although this may not seem too important for some, people with back or neck problems can benefit from this exercise, almost like therapy. However, it’s important to have a scooter that fits you comfortably.
In addition, wearing a full-face helmet for extended periods, going through headwinds, and looking over your shoulders also build posterior and anterior neck muscles.
3. Enhances Core Strength and Stability
It’s interesting to know that a ride through scenic landscapes improves your core strength. This is especially true when you maintain an upright position as this exercises and tones your core and back muscles while reinforcing your neck — doubly so when riding against the wind.
Riding a scooter can be an involving activity, with your core muscles helping other areas of the body maneuver. A part of scooter fitness involves strengthening your lower muscles, especially when you make stops and move your feet when turning.
4. Burns Calories
Scooter exercise is likened to a bicycle ride in the way you move at low speeds. As a low-impact exercise, scooter rides enable riders to burn around 600 calories an hour or the equivalent of a few large fast-food meals.
Compared to a car, scooter rides take a considerable amount of effort. In fact, being a driver alone can help you burn 50 calories. It also increases your insulin sensitivity, boosts your metabolism, and burns more body fat while storing less of it.
Overall, scooter rides serve as a full-body workout as riders use their bodies to balance and steer the vehicle. This entails the use of almost every muscle, which, over time, can improve muscle tone.
A lot of people usually hit the gym to work out and burn calories; however, not everyone masters proper form after running on a treadmill or jogging. In fact, many fitness buffs go for two-wheeled workouts like scooter exercises to practice cardio more enjoyably.
5. Promotes Mental Health
An important part of your scooter fitness journey involves mental and emotional health. As you enjoy a smooth ride around town, you’ll experience meditative bliss to destress from everyday life, clear your head, calm your brain, and improve your mood.
Scooter exercises also increase your energy levels and boost your mental outlook. As it elevates endorphin levels in the body, a scooter ride generally makes you feel happier, leading to stabilized mental health and a prolonged life span.
Accelerating your speed also offers a rush of adrenaline, with a bit of sun to brighten your day.
6. Improves Cognitive Function
Several studies prove that riding a scooter improves cerebral power. For one, a study conducted between riders who ride bikes to work and those who did not found that the brains of riders who regularly ride bikes were more stimulated than the latter group. In addition, it was found that the memory and spatial reasoning capacity of the riders were also significantly increased.
Another scientific study conducted by Ryuta Kawashima in partnership with Tohoku University and Yamaha Japan found that riding a scooter as exercise enhances cognitive function by around 50 percent. As per Kawashima, this is due to the driver’s brain veing activated during the activity, as riding requires rapid problem-solving and a high level of alertness.
Ride Your Way To Good Health
Experience the wonders of scooter fitness with us at Island Marine Rentals! Have fun as you go on a sightseeing vacation like no other. For inquiries on our premier boat rental services in Indian Rocks Beach, FL, contact us today.
