Priyadarshan Bawikar looks at the latest study done by experts that finally proves the theory that motorcycling does more good for the brain than just the giving bikers the pure pleasure of riding and also improves their mental condition.
Riding a motorcycle is not a simple task by any means. Unlike driving a car, which only requires acute spatial perception, a motorcycle demands a lot more from our brain. Not only does the rider need to be aware of his bike and what's happening around him on the road, he also needs to apply his sense of balance to an inherently imbalanced machine which weighs more than he does. Couple this with the task of 'reading' minute variations in traction which if done wrongly will leave him kissing the tarmac, and it starts to make you wonder how any of us can ride a motorcycle at all.
Dr. Ryuta Kawashima at Japan's Tohoku University and the man behind the best-selling Brain Training computer games looked at just this and conducted a study of the long-term effects that riding a motorcycle has on the rider's brain. The study, conducted over a period of two months, subjected 43 riders to various test as well as forced some of them into cars for the course of the research. In one of the tests that followed, the subjects were required to remember a set of numbers in reverse order. Here, the riders' scores jumped up more than 50-percent showing significant improvements in cognitive abilities, while those of the non-riders dropped. Dr. Kawashima, who himself rides a Yamaha FJR1300, explained "Balancing and other sensitive control functions required for riding motorcycles heighten brain activity". He also believes that long-term riders enjoy improved cognition, concentration and happiness, perform better at work and have lower incidences of stress, illness and worry.
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