The family bike ride may have more benefits than you think

WA Bike Month Ambassador Professor Hayley Christian AM is uniquely placed to see the benefits of bike riding.

As the Program Head of Healthy Behaviours and Environments at The Kids Research Institute Australia (formerly Telethon Kids Institute) and Professor with the School of Population and Global Health at The University of Western Australia, Professor Christian’s focus has been on the many ways that physical activity can be integrated into children’s everyday lives to improve their wellbeing.

A keen bike rider, Professor Christian is a big advocate for making bike riding a family activity, with the time put in with young children giving returns as they get older.

Professor Hayley Christian AM enjoying a bike ride

“One of the many benefits of bike riding is that it’s an activity that most families can do from their home,” Professor Christian said.

“Shared-use paths continue to be rolled out, so there’s a good chance a family can enjoy a bike ride setting out from home."

“That has a number of physical and mental health benefits, plus it’s really fun."

“While the value of physical activity among children is well known, there are other, less obvious long-term benefits from families riding bikes."

“One of the things we’ve found at The Kids Research Institute Australia is that bike riding in a family group enables children to develop ‘independent mobility’ – the familiarity and confidence to navigate safely around their neighbourhood without an adult."

“This is a really important part of a child’s psychological development, and it’s happening every time a child goes for a bike ride in their area, with family and friends or on their own."

“They’re building their spatial awareness and ‘wayfinding’ ability, in other words their sense of direction, and growing their confidence in their ‘outside world’."

“These skills and abilities are valuable in a child’s high school years, where they might ride to school, and into young adulthood, where riding is a growing mode of commuting to work as well as a social activity."

“Children gain independence, confidence, resilience and problem solving skills, simply from riding to and from school and around their neighbourhood.”

WA Bike Month runs for the month of October to promote bike riding across WA and encourage people of all ages and abilities to give riding a go, discover their local networks and experience the benefits of bike riding for fun, transport and better health.

Professor Christian is joined by ABC Regional’s Stan Shaw as a WA Bike Month Ambassador in 2024, along with Biboolmirn Nyoongar business identity Joe Collard, who is in his second year as an ambassador.