Have you stopped riding a bicycle because you no longer feel confident in your balance? For many people, the desire to ride is still there, but concerns about falling or getting injured can make getting back on a traditional two-wheel bicycle intimidating.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up cycling.
At Tri Rehab Physical Therapy in Canton and Dearborn, Michigan, we encourage our patients to find safe, enjoyable ways to remain physically active. If bicycling is an activity you enjoy—or one you would like to try—adaptive bicycles and balance-support modifications may provide options worth exploring.
Why Bicycling Is a Great Form of Exercise
Cycling can be an enjoyable way to get outdoors while incorporating physical activity into your routine. Regular bicycling can help:
- Improve cardiovascular fitness
- Support weight management
- Build overall strength
- Keep you physically active
- Provide an enjoyable form of outdoor exercise
However, safety matters. If you don’t feel confident balancing a traditional bicycle, forcing yourself to ride one may increase your risk of falling or injury.
Instead, consider whether an adaptive cycling option could help.
Consider an Adult Tricycle
One option for people who struggle with balance is an adult three-wheel bicycle, or tricycle.
The additional wheel provides greater stability than a traditional bicycle, which may make cycling more accessible for some older adults and people experiencing mobility or balance limitations.
Tri Rehab’s original guidance highlights the Schwinn Meridian Full Size Adult Tricycle with 26-inch wheels as one example of this type of bicycle.
Adult tricycles can provide an alternative for people who want to continue enjoying cycling but don’t feel comfortable balancing on two wheels.
Adapt Your Existing Bicycle With Balance Supports
Buying an entirely new bicycle isn’t the only option.
FatWheels are balance-support wheels designed to modify an existing bicycle and provide additional stability. They can be mounted on a variety of bicycle frames and may be an option for seniors, people with special needs, or others who need additional balance assistance.
For someone who already owns and enjoys a particular bicycle, an adaptation like this may provide an alternative to purchasing an adult tricycle.
Before choosing any adaptive equipment, make sure it is appropriate for your individual mobility, balance, and physical abilities.
Don’t Ignore Changes in Your Balance
If balance—not simply confidence—is preventing you from riding, it may be worth determining why.
Changes in strength, mobility, coordination, or balance can affect more than your ability to ride a bicycle. They may also influence walking, navigating stairs, exercising, and completing everyday activities safely.
A physical therapist can evaluate your movement and help determine whether specific exercises or rehabilitation strategies could improve your strength, balance, and overall function.
What If Pain Is Keeping You From Being Active?
Balance isn’t the only reason people stop participating in activities they enjoy. Pain or an injury can make cycling, walking, sports, and other forms of exercise difficult.
Rather than simply giving up an activity, consider having the problem evaluated.
Physical therapy may help address the underlying limitations contributing to your discomfort and develop a plan for safely returning to activity.
Find an Activity You Enjoy—and Keep Moving
Staying physically active is important at every stage of life. The best form of exercise is often one you enjoy enough to continue doing consistently.
If bicycling interests you but balance concerns are standing in your way, adaptive cycling equipment may provide another option. And if pain, weakness, or balance problems are limiting your ability to participate in your favorite activities, the team at Tri Rehab Physical Therapy is here to help.
Visit www.trirehab.com to learn more about physical therapy, sports medicine, balance rehabilitation, and other services available at our Dearborn and Canton, Michigan locations.
By Janel Davis-Heitzmann, MPT
Tri-Rehab, Inc.
