Switching to a motorcycle for your daily commute can yield numerous health benefits, both physically and mentally. Riding a motorcycle engages your core muscles, improving overall balance and posture, while also providing a low-impact cardiovascular workout. The open-air experience heightens your senses and allows you to connect with nature, reducing stress and fostering mindfulness. As you embrace a healthier, more exhilarating mode of transportation, you'll find that your motorcycle commute reinvigorates you for the day ahead.

Why Switching to a Motorcycle Can Make for a Healthier Commute

The majority of people reading this will be all too familiar with the commute from hell. The trip you dread making every weekday morning and the one that leaves you stressed and in a bad mood when you arrive home.

There’s a reason this commute feels like it’s so bad for us because it is. But it doesn’t have to be.

Mental and Physical Drain

Commuters are hitting the roads at a time when the average U.S. commute is the longest it has ever been. Currently, it sits at an average of 55 minutes per day, or around nine days per year.

This rising commute time comes with some negative health risks.

An Unhealthy Heart

A study of 4,297 Texans, found that the length of their commute directly related to their blood pressure levels. The longer the commute, the higher their blood pressure was.

The same study also found that Texans with longer commutes had lower levels of cardiovascular fitness and physical activity.

High blood pressure and low levels of cardiovascular fitness are two contributing factors in cases of heart disease and strokes.

Be Unhappy

If you want to be unhappy, one of the best things you can do is ensure you have a long, long commute.

A report, conducted in the UK, found that people who commute for more than half an hour each way to work reported higher levels of stress and anxiety.

These people also had lower life satisfaction and happiness than people with shorter commutes.

If you want to be happier and physically fitter there’s something you can do, just shorten your commute. It might sound overly simple, but it really is.

Make the Switch to a Motorcycle

Imagine waking up and actually being excited about your journey to work and likewise, when you get home, you have energy and exuberance for the second part of your day.

Make the switch to commuting by motorcycle and this becomes a reality.

The average weekday in the U.S. sees 80 million cars hit the roads but only around 200,000 motorcycles and scooters are in this mix.

A pretty pathetic number when you consider there are 6,567,197 motorcycles registered in the U.S.

It’s a Group Effort

If more people choose to commute by motorcycle it will reduce everyone’s commute time, car drivers included.

One study, conducted in the U.S., found that if just 10% of car drivers switched to motorcycles, time spent stuck in traffic would be reduced by 63%, for everyone.

Another report, conducted in Brussels, found that if 25% of motorists switched from cars to motorcycles, congestion would be eliminated entirely.

It’s simple really, motorcycles take up less space on the road and can share a lane, resulting in less congestion.

It Gets Better

If you’re lucky enough to live in California, where lane splitting is legal, you can shave a lot of time off your commute.

Studies comparing car and motorcycle journeys in the UK found traveling by motorcycle can shorten journeys by up to 33 minutes every hour for the town center and city travel.

Even if you commute in a mixture of built-up and non-built-up areas, the study found you can knock off 20 minutes for every hour of travel.

At the moment, California is the only State lane splitting is legal but there are ongoing attempts to pass legislation to allow lane splitting into other States.

The Bottom Line

Leave the car keys at home and take your motorcycle. You’ll be giving yourself more free time during the day and the energy to enjoy it – your body and your mind will thank you.