BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE APPLICATIONS LLC
Behavioral Risk Management Advisors
You Never See a Motorcycle Parked Outside a Psychiatrist's Office
If you ride, you get it. Getting on your bike clears your head like nothing else. And it's not just you. There is solid science behind that feeling and there are ways to get even more from your time in the saddle. The benefits of riding for your mental wellness are too important to ignore.
According to neuroscience research from UCLA, when people rode motorcycles, their brain shifted into a more alert and focused state. They paid less attention to background noise and were quicker to notice important changes around them. They also had brain patterns linked to stronger visual focus. And there's more! Stress biomarkers also changed in a positive direction with their hormone levels suggesting their bodies were managing stress more effectively. A study from the the Department of Functional Brain Imaging at Tohoku University came down in the same place:
"Incorporating motorcycle riding into daily life improves various cognitive functions (particularly prefrontal cortex functions) and has positive effects on mental and emotional health such as stress reduction."
With anxiety and depression being the most common conditions, the latest report from The Lancet claims that nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide currently have some type of mental disorder, reflecting a 95.5% increase since 1990. According the the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) one in four adults in the U.S. experiences mental illness each year. A study from the American Psychological Association (APA) found that 50% of survey participants reported being so stressed that they "felt numb" and 58% stated that most days their level of stress was "overwhelming." In today's complex and rapidly changing world, maintaining our mental health is more challenging and more important that ever.
We live in an environment that is not designed for our brains. Most people spend their waking hours alternating between sitting still and switching between screens, processing a constant stream of information from emails, alerts, social media feeds and the news. The constant input of information from our communications technologies just wears us down. It keeps our stress levels chronically elevated and erodes our ability to stay present and regulate our emotions. And, sitting has been found to be as bad as smoking. Research from Stanford University has linked a sedentary lifestyle with a wide range of physical and psychological risks including heart disease and cancer.
The demands of modern life can leave us mentally fatigued, anxious and feeling burned out. These are the predictable results of a lifestyle our brains were not built to handle. The good news is that it doesn’t take much to counteract these effects. It has been demonstrated that as little as 20 minutes of riding can provide significant physical and mental health benefits.
Science!
Researchers from UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior recorded riders’ brain activity and hormone levels before, during, and after motorcycling, driving a car, and resting. The research team monitored participants’ electrical brain activity and heart rate, as well as levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol using mobile EEG technology. The results, published in the journal Brain Research found that when riding, the subjects experienced increased sensory focus and resilience to distraction. Riding also produced an increase in adrenaline levels and heart rate, and a decrease in cortisol levels, which is a stress reducer.
The study also emphasized these key points:
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Riding a motorcycle increases adrenaline by27%
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Cortisol decreases by over 25%
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Heart rate increases by 11%
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Provides a positive outlook
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Enhances cognitive ability
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Makes you more attentive
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Makes you more responsive
The bottom line is that riding boosts your mood, sharpen your mind, and helps you feel more connected to the world around you. You might have difficultly convincing non-riders, but riding your motorcycle is clinically therapeutic.
The Neuroscience Lab in Your Helmet
A landmark study by Yamaha Motor tracked the neurological effects of riding over two months and found significant improvements in cognitive function, focus, and overall brain performance. Research, including the UCLA study, has shown positive effects on stress-related biomarkers, stress reduction, and mental alertness.
Here's what is happening inside of your helmet with consistent riding:
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Up to 50% improvement in cognitive function: Measurable gains in memory, concentration and problem-solving in as little as two months of regular riding. That's a more significant cognitive boost than many activities people pursue specifically for brain health.
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Prefrontal cortex activation: The brain's command center fires up with every ride, sharpening focus, decision-making and emotional regulation.
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Greater mental clarity, better judgment and a calmer response to pressure on and off the bike.
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Increased BDNF: Your brain grows new neurons. Riding triggers a significant increase in BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), the protein that drives the growth and maintenance of neurons. Higher BDNF levels are directly associated with lower rates of depression, anxiety and cognitive decline.
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Permanent Neuroplasticity: Most importantly, the neurological improvements triggered by regular riding don't fade when you stop riding. Your brain adapts structurally and the changes stay with you, meaning every ride is an investment in your long-term mental health.
