Can Riding a Bike Improve Your Mood? (another spoiler alert: Yes!)

By Andrea Poteet, Sunshine Behavioral Health

Not only is biking a “green”, safe and reliable form of transportation, but it also can improve your quality of life. On many levels, an activity as simple as riding a bike can have plenty of rewards for you and your well-being.

It's also an affordable hobby to get into, as you don’t need to spend a lot of money to learn how to do it. You don’t even have to own a bike - try out bike share with Houston BCycle for less than 22 cents a day at any of 145+ stations to choose from across Houston.

Research shows that riding a bike can have proven benefits to your mood, including:

1. Create new memories

Making new, fun memories is one big reason why people enjoy riding their bikes. Studies show that having new and diverse experiences can improve your quality of life and help you feel better about your mental health. In a 2020 study, people who went to new places and did new things were reported as feeling “happier,” “stronger,” “relaxed,” and “attentive.” Bike riding can certainly be one of these new things. You see things from a different perspective, and the novelty of these experiences makes it more likely you would remember them.

2. See new places

Even simply replacing your drive to the convenience store with a bike ride can be helpful. Maybe try taking on hills, bicycling through city streets at night, breezing along trails in the park, or simply cruising around your neighborhood. The brain's reward center, called the striatum, releases feel-good chemicals when the brain sees new scenery.

3. Make new friends

Get out there and meet new people! When you're riding your bike, you’ll see new faces and meet people interested in the same hobby. Being around other happy people is more likely to help you be happy, as one Harvard study shows. There are tons of bike groups around town who meet at a variety of times, giving you more opportunities to meet others interested in the same hobby.

4. Get exercise

Exercise is recommended for people of all ages and fitness levels. It assists in healing the body and helps build strength. Regular exercise boosts the cardiovascular system and will help the body maintain its strength and stamina. Having a healthier, stronger body will help you to be happier.

It also has a positive effect on the endocannabinoid system. Those “endorphins” that we hear about when learning about exercise are actually part of the body's endocannabinoid system. Moving around gets the awareness out of the mind and into the body, and can provide relief from mental health symptoms. There are also many physiological reactions. Stress levels are reduced and the body's self-regulation system pumps up endorphins.

In a Harvard study, the risk of being depressed was lowered by as much as 26% for every physical activity that people involved in the study participated in.

5. Get sun and fresh air

Exposing the body to the sun and fresh air has numerous physical and mental health benefits. It helps the body make the essential nutrient vitamin D. This is shown to alleviate symptoms of depression. People with the lowest levels of vitamin D are at higher risk for depression. Studies show up to a billion people around the world are estimated to have vitamin D deficiency. You can improve your quality of life by getting better oxygen and blood flow by riding your bike in the sun. Sunlight is also a big component in mental health conditions such as Seasonal Affective Disorder.

6. Feel young

In a study from Humboldt University, adults over 65 who biked at least three times a week have less of an experience of age-related decline in many ways. In addition to helping to boost mental health, it also reduces stress in many people.

Introducing new hobbies is one of the best ways you can improve your quality of life and wellbeing. Replacing old habits with newer, healthier ones will strengthen you throughout your life. Working with an experienced care team will also help you in your recovery path.

Cheers to biking for improving mood and other health benefits!