Motorcycle riding is becoming increasingly popular among women as well. Over the decades, more women have adopted motorcycling not just for transportation but as a complete lifestyle. Motorcycling offers many benefits in terms of socializing, community building, stress management, coping mechanisms, and freedom. Female motorcycle clubs have also helped promote motorcycling among women, compelling them to be part of something adventurous and truly liberating. With more motorcycle manufacturers producing two-wheelers that are equally suitable for female riders increased safety features in new bikes have made riding extremely safe for both men and women alike. Harley Davidson with its H.O.G. memberships also available for women has helped normalize the concept of women motorcycle riders not just in the United States but worldwide.
Initially, women were discouraged from riding because it is a physically demanding activity even if it appears effortless. Most women were discouraged from riding by mentioning how difficult it is to lift a fallen bike, how slow-speed maneuvers require muscle strength to ensure stability and balance, and how women are not capable of handling any unexpected mechanical breakdowns en route. Luckily, women no longer need to worry about getting stranded due to a motorcycle malfunction, thanks to the availability of road assistance services and mobile mechanics. Many companies now also offer towing services, helping you reach a mechanic or a motorcycle repair shop easily. However, bone and muscle strength is a factor that may discourage some women from trying out motorcycling let alone embracing it as a lifestyle choice.
Therefore, there is no denying the importance of bone strength in the world of motorcycles and the fact that women should prioritize their bone health because of their susceptibility to developing weaker bones. This article aims to highlight the strong bone benefits for female motorcyclists and will also explore some tips that can help you strengthen your skeletal system. In addition, this article may also discuss some health benefits that women can get through motorcycling.
Table of Content
1. Why Should Women Motorcycle Riders Have Strong Bones?
Much like all people engaging in demanding physical activities, female motorcycle riders can also benefit from strong, healthy bones. The motorcycle is usually controlled through the lower body and arms, and all the maneuvers you make on your motorcycle require a greater level of physical fitness or bone strength. Additionally, strong bones are better able to absorb the impact of damaged and uneven roads, engine vibration, and other shocks that you may experience due to a budget motorcycle suspension system.
The human skeletal system is extremely powerful, designed to bear our body weight, in addition to other things that we may want to lift and carry. Similarly, when riding motorcycles, balance is key for safety and control. And all the strength required to keep the motorcycle upright, walking the bike, parking it, slow-speed maneuvers, and other riding techniques that need to support the weight of the bike. Strong bones will prevent your motorcycle from tipping over, keeping you safe from injuries and accidents. Also, they save you a lot of money on repair work and replacements.
It is true that modern motorcycles with their traction control system, ABS, rider aids, crash bars , and other technological safety features and accessories, are much safer than motorcycles have ever been. However, the risk of collisions and accidents cannot be ruled out completely. In the event of a fall, crash, or non-contact collision, riders tend to lose balance and fall off the bike. In the process, if their bones are too weak to absorb the impact, they break or get fractured even if the crash was minor. Women with weak bones may also sustain hairline fractures or stress fractures by putting too much repetitively on their bones.
Considering all these health issues that may arise from riding a motorcycle with weak bones, women need to take their bone health into account. Women are biologically more susceptible to developing osteoporosis, a bone disease that develops when the bones lose mineral density and mass. Other bone diseases that are highly common in women include osteoarthritis in which cartilage of the bone degenerates.
Women start losing their bone mass and density in their 30s, and they generally have a 50% risk of developing osteoporosis or other bone disease in their lifetime. Therefore, building and retaining bone mineral density is crucial to lead a quality life and will also facilitate you in the activity of motorcycling. By building bone mineral density, you can prevent age-related bone health issues from developing.
2. How to Develop Bone Density for Motorcycle Riding
Luckily, regular body-weight exercises are all you need to prevent loss of bone density and bone mass, mitigating the risk of developing osteoporosis and other related diseases that become more prevalent with age. If you are unable to make time for proper gym workouts or at-home weight-bearing exercises, try to involve yourself in some sort of physical activity that will stimulate your bones. This can be something as simple as climbing the stairs with your groceries or backpack full of a laptop, filled water bottle, books, and other items. Carrying motorcycle toolboxes from the garage to motorcycle saddlebags and back. When traveling long distances, carry your loaded motorcycle tail bag or motorcycle trunk off the motorcycle yourself to the hotel room, restaurant, and camping site. Running and walking are also some good weight-bearing exercises that will especially strengthen your lower body and help you control the bike.
3. Benefits of Strong Bones for Female Motorcycle Riders
Strong bones offer a multitude of benefits to female riders not just while riding but also in their everyday life. Listed below are some of the most prominent benefits of building bone strength.
3.1 Better Performance and Confidence
When you are constantly discouraged from doing something, you start believing the narrative that you cannot do the task. Motorcycles and women have quite the same equation. Most women break the barriers and try out motorcycling, but their weak bones just confirm that they cannot do it. However, the problem is not the lack of abilities, but rather unhealthy bones that will hinder your performance in other areas of your life as well. Weak bones, painful joints, inflamed bones, and cartilage can also ruin your posture, your walking pace, and your ability to lift and carry items on your own, making you dependent on others.
On the other hand, strong bones will allow you to handle the bike with the utmost prowess, giving you a confidence boost and encouraging you to take on some other challenges of life. Additionally, strong bones will enhance your physical performance, help you lead an active lifestyle, and be independent in your day-to-day life. As for motorcycle trips, supportive plush seats and strong bones ensure a comfortable ride.
3.2 Freedom
Motorcycling can be addictive for most riders because it offers a taste of freedom on the open roads. But true freedom can only be enjoyed if you are healthy and living a pain-free life. Motorcycles also allow you to leave behind your mundane life in search of greater adventures. Furthermore, it is a great way to relieve stress and rejuvenate yourself. But if you are unable to control your bike, you will not be able to enjoy independence. Therefore, strong bones allow you to fully enjoy the liberation motorcycles are so apt at offering.
3.3 Injury Mitigation
Strong and healthy bones offer the buffer against impact, vibrations, and weight of the motorcycle, which itself is a force. Therefore, women can easily benefit from strong bones as they mitigate the risk of injuries due to supporting excess weight and accidents. With a lesser risk of injury, you will feel more empowered when riding a motorcycle.
3.4 Quality Life
For many motorcycling is a lifestyle because it helps them develop healthy habits like exercising to stay fit and healthy, so they can continue riding for years to come. Your passion for riding and strong bones are interrelated because motorcycles can trigger you to take measures that will ensure strong and healthy bones, while strong bones will give you the courage and the confidence to keep riding for many years to come. Hence, strong bones ensure the overall well-being of women motorcycle riders, and all it takes is two minutes of jumping or brisk walking, climbing the stairs instead of using the elevator, and proper nutrition.
4. Benefits of Riding on Bone Health of Women Motorcyclists
As mentioned, motorcycling can offer many health benefits to help you stay at the top of your bone health and lead an active lifestyle even after living five or more decades. It is worth mentioning, that if women motorcycle riders or motorcycle enthusiasts already suffer from a bone disease or have declining bone health due to hormonal issues, medications, or stress, they should not engage in motorcycle and other demanding physical activities before consulting their physician. It is also extremely important to wear protective riding gear to prevent injuries, joint dislocation, and fractures in the event of a fall because protecting your strong bones is equally important for your overall well-being.
4.1 Exercise
Riding a motorcycle can itself be classified as a weight-bearing exercise, especially when learning how to ride a motorcycle, park it, and control it while cornering or turning. Therefore the physical activity of riding a motorcycle can stimulate your bone fitness and prevent loss of mineral density, giving you stronger bones. Since the musculoskeletal system works in sync to help you handle and maneuver a motorcycle, it is just an added benefit that riding a motorcycle also conditions muscle strength, preventing strains and muscle injuries. However, during long-distance rides, it is essential to stretch and move your muscles to prevent fatigue, sores, and cramps.
Motorcycling also involves balance and coordination and to have both these skills, bone strength is necessary. Since motorcycling stimulates both your muscles and bones, it also helps improve your coordination and balance.
4.2 Staying Outdoors
Motorcyclists spend most of their time outdoors in direct sunlight, and if they are wearing sunblock, this sun exposure can naturally supply Vitamin D, an essential fat-soluble secosteroid that helps your bones absorb calcium in your blood and maintain their mineral density.
4.3 Stress Management
Motorcycling is known to help with stress management, especially if riders travel to far-away scenic spots where they can spend more time in nature and avoid mingling with crowds. Motorcycling also opens recreational opportunities such as wildlife watching, hiking, nature walks, camping, and wilderness explorations that are known to have a positive impact on one's mental health and provide a coping mechanism. Being exposed to high levels of stress increases the cortisol levels in the blood, a hormone that is known to cause loss of bone mass and increase risk of fractures. If cortisol levels remain high for an extended period, they can damage your bones. By offering stress relief, motorcycle riding helps women riders build healthy bones.
Also Read: How to Make Motorcycle Trips More Enjoyable?
For some women social interaction does what solitude does for others in terms of stress management and relief. Motorcycle community, events, rallies, and guided tours are a great way for female riders to connect with like-minded women who share their passion for riding. Social interactions through motorcycle events, clubs, and tours also provide social support to women who are striving for a noble cause or trying to overcome challenges in their lives, leading to improved health including stronger bones.
Also Read: 10 Most Badass Women's Motorcycle Clubs
5. Last Words
Strong bones and motorcycle riding have a deep connection when it comes to leading a quality life, enjoying freedom, and coping with the stressful pace of mundane lives. While strong bones are crucial for safe riding regardless of the motorcyclist’s gender, women riders should prioritize their bone health because they are more susceptible to developing bone diseases later in life.
Staying active, performing light exercises, walking or jogging regularly for a few minutes, carrying heavy items, like a motorcycle luggage bag yourself, and eating healthy balanced meals can improve your bone health, allow you to ride with more confidence, and will also mitigate the risk of injuries that comes with riding a two-wheeler. In addition to having strong bones, following motorcycle laws, wearing a lightweight and aerodynamic helmet and protective riding gear, using crash bars, and riding at a moderate speed are key to preventing accidents and injuries on the road.
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