Cycling Can Have Surprising Benefits

Riding a bicycle is a fun activity for many people, but did you know that regular use of a bicycle may be able to prevent or delay the onset of dementia?

The word dementia describes a group of symptoms that affect memory, thinking and social abilities and interfere with the daily life activities of a person. (1)  It is the most feared medical diagnosis worldwide. Over 56% of people will put off seeking a diagnosis when they are encountering memory problems and 62% of people surveyed felt that a diagnosis of dementia would mean their life was over. (2) Dementia is already a leading contributor to disability and loss of independence in older people and its incidence is expected to more than double by the year 2050. (3)

Dementia does not only affect older adults.  Young-onset dementia, characterized by dementia that shows up before the age of 65 years, is less prevalent but it comes with a higher burden of care and a greater risk of early death. (4,5)

Mercifully there is some good news too.  The 2024 update of the Lancet Commission Report on Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care indicates that 45% of all dementia cases worldwide could be prevented or delayed by modifying certain risk factors including hearing loss, high LDL-cholesterol, depression, traumatic brain injury, lack of physical activity, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, obesity and excessive use of alcohol. Moreover, physical activity was emphasized by the Lancet Commission for its contribution as a strong preventative measure for dementia during middle age. (6,7)

Research published in March 2025 agrees with the Lancet Commission report.  The participants were nearly 90,000 adults living in the UK and their data was taken from smart-watch-type activity trackers. (8)  Results showed that, over the four-year follow-up period of this study, when compared to zero weekly minutes of exercise, the more minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise performed per week the lower the risk of developing dementia as follows;

• 35 minutes of exercise per week was linked to a 41% lower risk of developing dementia
• 1 to 69.9 minutes of exercise per week was linked to a 60% lower risk of developing dementia
• 70 to 139.9 minutes of exercise per week was linked to a 63% lower risk of developing dementia
• Over 140 minutes of exercise per week was linked to a 69% lower risk of developing dementia

 The World Health Organization lays out recommended levels of physical activity to maintain good health.  Part of their guidelines suggests adopting cycling as a method of transportation.  Cycling is not only enjoyable but is among the most efficient and sustainable means of transportation.  It is the prolonged moderate-vigorous intensity exertion that results from more time spent riding a bicycle that is the source of its health benefits. (9)

Moderate-vigorous intensity exercise is one of the well-known “pillars of health” and has been linked with improved health outcomes including; (10,11)

• Decreased risk of over 25 chronic conditions including heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type-2 diabetes and lower incidence of eight different types of cancer (cancers of the bladder, breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, stomach, and lung).
• Decreased incidence of early death
• Protection of brain health and lessening the risk of the development of dementia
• Improving sleep
• Lowering depression, anxiety and stress
• Diminishing dependence on drugs and alcohol

Adopting cycling as a means of travel would encourage more bouts of cycling and for longer time periods thereby increasing exposure to its health benefits.  (9)

A 2025 prospective cohort analysis from the UK which included over 500,000 participants set out to investigate the long-term association between various modes of travel and the risk of the development of dementia from all causes.  (3)  Using the UK Biobank, a wide range of data was collected about each participant including information on their medical conditions, lifestyle and socio-demographics. Info about the modes of transportation being used by participants was gathered through questionnaires and each participant was placed into one of four active travel mode groups;

• Nonactive (using a motorized vehicle or public transportation)
• Walking
• Mixed-Walking (a combination of Nonactive and Walking)
• Cycling and Mixed Cycling (Cycling combined with other modes)

During the study follow-up period of an average of 13.1 years, the development of dementia in participants was recorded.

Results revealed that, when compared with the participants in the Nonactive travel mode group, those in the Cycling and Mixed-Cycling travel mode groups were associated with; (3)

• 17% lower risk of late-onset dementia
• 19% lower risk of all-cause dementia
• 22% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease
• 40% lower risk of young-onset dementia

In addition, participants in the Cycling and Mixed-Cycling mode group were linked to increased gray matter volume in ten brain regions and particularly in the hippocampus. (See Note 2 below)

Participants in the Walking mode group were associated with marginally increased risk for all-cause dementia.  (See Note 1 below)

Participants in both the Walking mode group and the Mixed-Walking mode group were associated with slightly decreased gray matter volume.

Note1:  The researchers further examined their finding of marginally increased risk of dementia with the Walking mode group.  They noted that an earlier randomized clinical trial from Australia investigating a physical activity program demonstrated improved cognitive function in participants walking approximately 9000 additional steps per week compared with a control group who did not change their exercising habits.(13)  This highlights the importance of the distance and intensity of the walking. In addition, complex tasks such as driving require more cognitive engagement and are linked to lower risk of all-cause dementia (14) while cessation of driving is associated with increased dementia risk (15). In conclusion, the association of walking with brain health has been inconsistent and warrants further investigation.

 Note 2:  The hippocampi are seahorse-shaped structures. One hippocampus is located on each side of the temporal lobe of the brain.  They help with learning and memory by converting short-term memories into long-term ones through the organization and storage of memories. The hippocampus is also important in spatial memory (awareness of what’s around you) and verbal memory (remembering what words to use) and is involved in the limbic system which regulates smells, emotions, memories and autonomic behaviours such as heart rate, breathing and sweating.   (12)

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

These investigations suggest that riding a bicycle as a method of travel is a promising approach for maintaining the function and structure of the brain.  This applies to dementia from all causes and to late-onset dementia but especially to young-onset dementia that crops up below the age of 65.

Despite its widely-established benefits, the numbers of individuals engaging in enough physical activity to make a difference in their healthfulness is very low. (3)  Perhaps the idea that cycling may be able to offer an accessible, sustainable practice for preserving brain health (and, at the same time, better overall health) would inspire more people to view their bicycles in a different way.  This means going beyond an enjoyable bicycle ride on a nice day once in awhile.  It entails embracing your bicycle as a means to achieve two goals at once; to get the exercise needed for optimal health along with accomplishing everyday travels from place to place (like running errands, visiting friends or travelling to work).  Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

 

SOURCES:

1  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dementia/symptoms-causes/syc-20352013

2  https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/news/2024-11-22/over-half-people-fear-dementia-diagnosis-62-cent-think-it-means-life-over

3  Hou, C., Zhang, Y., Zhao, F., et al. Active Travel Mode and Incident Dementia and Brain Structure. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(6):e2514316. Doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.14316

4  Arai, A., Matsumoto, T., Ikeda, M., Arai, Y.  Do family caregivers perceive more difficulty when they look after patients with early onset dementia compared to those with late onset dementia?   Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2007;22(12):1255-1261. Doi:10.1002/gps.

5  Koedam, E.L., Pijnenburg, Y.A., Deeg, D.J.,  et al.  Early-onset dementia is associated with higher mortality. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2008;26(2):147-152. doi:10.1159/000149585

6 Livingston, G., Huntley, J., Liu, K.Y., et al.  Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission. Lancet. 2024;404(10452):572-628. Doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01296-0. Epub 2024 Jul 31. PMID: 39096926.

7  https://www.thelancet.com/infographics-do/dementia-risk

8  Wanigatunga, A.A., Dong, Y., Jin, M., Leroux, A. et al.  Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity at any Dose Reduces All-Cause Dementia Risk Regardless of Frailty Status.  J Am Medical Directors Association; 2025/03/01;26(3); Doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2024.105456.

9  https://www.who.int/activities/promoting-walking-and-cycling

10  https://longevity.stanford.edu/lifestyle/lifestyle-pillars/lifestyle-medicine-fitness/

11  https://www.cpha.ca/active-travel-factsheet

12  https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/hippocampus

13  Lautenschlager, N.T., Cox, K.L., Flicker, L., Foster, J.K., van Bockxmeer, F.M., Xiao, .J, Greenop, K.R., Almeida, O.P. Effect of physical activity on cognitive function in older adults at risk for Alzheimer disease: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2008 Sep 3;300(9):1027-37. Doi: 10.1001/jama.300.9.1027.

14  Shimada, H., Makizako, H., Lee, S., Doi, T., Lee, S. Lifestyle activities and the risk of dementia in older Japanese adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2018 Oct;18(10):1491-1496. Doi: 10.1111/ggi.13504. Epub 2018 Aug 21. PMID: 30133092.

15  Choi, M., Lohman, M.C., Mezuk, B. Trajectories of cognitive decline by driving mobility: evidence from the Health and Retirement Study. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2014 May;29(5):447-53. Doi: 10.1002/gps.4024. Epub 2013 Sep 10. PMID: 24022894; PMCID: PMC4080895.