Bikes As Therapy … ?
A therapist friend of mine recently asked me over to watch a World Cup Game, and I arrived toting my lid (non-bikers, to you that’s a helmet..)
He didn’t know I’d recently gone back to biking, and mentioned a study recently done in Spain (Toledo, I think) which concluded that a sporting or other suitable passion (outside work) was either more or as beneficial to mental well-being than most any medicine or therapy.
Among those that came top as ‘desirable therapy’ came running, hiking, cycling, kayaking, etc, i.e., generally those pursuits which let you choose whether you are part of a team/group or remain solo.
Motorcycling came 4th, which he found interesting.
Not ever having being a biker himself, I tried to explain the attraction - the freedom, camaraderie, exditement (or comfort, depending on what you ride) - but I couldn’t find the words. I just asked him,
“Have you ever had a biker client for therapy?”
He couldn’t recall any in 22 years of practice.
