Get ready for summer and strengthen your immunity

A scientific study undertaken by Czech experts has confirmed that riding a footbike has a fundamental impact on health, directly influences general mobility and contributes to good physical condition.

Nowadays, it is all the rage to claim that anything is good for our health. This often involves pills, drinks or various activities and forms of movement. However, all of this remains within the realm of theory or just high hopes, if it is not backed up with relevant expert research. It is therefore pleasing that the health benefits of footbike riding have been confirmed by a study conducted by Czech experts, all of whom are specialists in rehabilitative medicine, physiotherapy and computer kinesiology. The study is all the more interesting, because it has been performed on senior citizens who tend to have significant problems with mobility which substantially reduce their quality of life. The results of the research project were also very surprising to the medical specialists...

The study performed by leading Czech experts in cooperation with the Czech footbike manufacturer, Kostka, describes the positive influence of footbike riding on health.

You can combine outdoor leisure time activities with doing the utmost for your health thanks to a footbike. Movement in the fresh spring air is an excellent way of boosting your organism’s immunity and improve your fitness. A footbike is suitable for all age categories from children to senior citizens.

The study performed by leading Czech experts in cooperation with the Czech footbike manufacturer, Kostka, describes the positive influence of footbike riding on health.

A footbike is a way to achieve good health and excellent fitness

Footbikes have long since ceased being only for children! Riding a footbike is a unique type of physical activity that is becoming increasingly widespread among adults. And no wonder – the majority of the muscle groups are activated when riding, it has a positive influence on the condition of the joints in the lower limbs and it shapes the muscles in an undemanding way. These generally known assumptions formed the impetus for the preparation of the expert pilot study.

The initial hypothesis has subsequently been verified with practical tests and measurements that are regularly used in physiotherapy and musculoskeletal medicine - tests of active and passive movements (rotation and lateral flexion of the torso, abduction of the upper limbs in the glenohumeral joint, flexion in the hip joint, the Lasègue test and the dorsal and plantar flexion of the ankle, knee and the entire limb) and soft tissue tests.

Riding a footbike is also a very suitable and gentle activity for people who are slightly or generally overweight. A footbike can also be used as a very good and effective weight loss tool.

Ing. Otakar Morávek
Ing. Otakar Morávek

The JONA Health Centre, the JONA Medical Centre
The co-author of the Computer Kinesiology and ComGym methods.

I often hear that riding a footbike is bad and unsuitable for people with back pain. However, my practical experience has been quite the opposite. I have had some success when recommending riding a footbike to clients with back pain. This is especially so for people with problems in the lumbar region – provided any serious illnesses have been ruled out. I therefore decided to test the effects of riding a footbike using the diagnostics from the Computer Kinesiology system.

... is how Ing. Otakar Morávek, one of the study’s authors, explains the initial impulse to perform the study.

Riding helps us lubricate...

The investigated parameters have led to a number of conclusive graphs showing improved mobility, which we don’t, however, want to bother you with here. The results are very pleasing and the title chosen for this section is by no means a printer’s or author’s error. It can be said with just slight exaggeration that a mere ¾ of an hour spent riding a footbike affects the body like an excellent “lubricant”.

To put it more simply - the individual monitored tests have shown some surprising improvements. A significant reduction in the overall dysfunction value attests to significant improvements in the general musculoskeletal system, including improved balance. The significant reduction in the values of the findings in the individual sections of the spine attests to substantial improvements in spinal mobility, especially improved function in the lumbar area. The same can be also said about the mobility of the joints in the lower limbs, especially the hips.

... is how MUDr. Věra Hošková, a rehabilitation doctor with international board certification and experience in sports medicine, describes the results of the pilot study.
MUDr. Kamil Ramík
MUDr. Kamil Ramík

A specialist in curative and sports rehabilitation

A footbike provides a wide range of options for actively exercising the majority of the muscle groups. Riding a footbike is very good for strengthening and shaping the muscles of the lower limbs and strengthening the gluteal muscles and the lateral back muscles. Riding leads to the overall stabilisation of the hips and the torso. Moreover, it can also be effectively used during active weight loss.

... says MUDr. Kamil Ramík, a specialist in curative and sports rehabilitation from Ostrava

The course of the testing and the used parameters

A total of 45 people, 10 men and 35 women, with an average age of 68 took part in two different tests (in May and August 2019). The absolute majority of them stood on a footbike for the first time in their lives. The average age already indicates an age that corresponds to reduced mobility and the positive results of the study are therefore also a very hopeful report for more than just senior citizens.

A ride in the Olomouc parks

Mgr. Lenka Fasnerová
Mgr. Lenka Fasnerová

An expert physiotherapist and footbike fitness instructor

The individual participants were tested before and after a 45-minute training ride on Kostka footbikes. At the same time, emphasis was placed on the correct riding technique and a load that was adequate to the rider’s fitness, age and medical case history.

... says Mrg. Lenka Fasnerová, an expert physiotherapist and footbike fitness instructor

What was investigated?

Ing. Otakar Morávek provides more detail on what the main focus was when testing the riders’ before-and-after condition:

“We evaluated a total of 11 different parameters – tests of musculoskeletal function, the mobility of three sections of the spine, i.e. the neck, chest and lumbar areas, and kinesiological and physiotherapy tests of the extent of movement of the hips, knees and ankles.”

Comparison of the mean values of the diagnostic part of Computer Kinesiology - showed an improvement of the monitored parameters

A significant reduction in the overall dysfunction value according to computer kinesiology attests to a significant improvement in the overall musculoskeletal system. The values of the t parameter and the probability of the application of a zero hypothesis indicate a statistically highly significant change. A comparison of the mean values of the outputs from the computer kinesiology test section showed improvements in the monitored parameters. According to computer kinesiology, the overall improvement in the dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system is 47.3%: t = 25, p = 1.65E-27 .

Kinesiological physiotherapeutic tests of range of motion (There was a significant improvement in joint mobility)

It is true that virtually no other sport is able to strengthen the dorsal muscles like riding a footbike. Riding a footbike leads to the stabilisation of the hips and torso, which helps eliminate back pain and stiffness. Unlike during running, it will also spare your joints and involve your entire body. It is, however, important to pay attention to choosing a suitable footbike, as only then will you achieve the required effect and enjoy the movement. You can find out how to choose the right footbike for you --> here <--on our website.

The research project has also revealed some effects that have a negative influence on health and fitness. Incorrectly applied riding techniques or the choice of a footbike with unsuitable geometry can lead to the systematic overloading of the musculoskeletal system and to a future increase in muscular imbalance. And this can lead to permanent health damage in children, for example. An adult rider is fully responsible for their decisions. In the case of children, the decision-making falls to their parents, who should pay the appropriate amount of attention when purchasing each piece of sports equipment.

The study resulted in the finding that overall musculoskeletal dysfunction in the researched individuals improved by 47.3% after riding a footbike. According to all of the participating experts, the aforementioned results point to the beneficial effects of riding large-wheeled footbikes. This can even be done by senior citizens who have never ridden a footbike before in their lives and the testing has shown significant positive effects for their musculoskeletal systems and overall mobility and fitness.

The positive aspects of footbikes for health

Promoters of footbike riding recommend the footbike as a healthy, comprehensive and compensatory means of movement even during post-accident therapy after operations on the knees and hips, but also on slipped discs. At the same time, they also state that footbike riding leads to:

- the simultaneous engagement of the brain’s left and right hemispheres,
- improvements to hip extension
- the strengthening of the muscles around the hips and the knees,
- the strengthening of the muscles that are important for walking correctly.

Joints condition improvement

Footbike riding will also help with weight loss and is a suitable replacement for any established cardio activities such as running or cycling.

Footbike riding will also help with weight loss and is a suitable replacement for any established cardio activities such as running or cycling.



More information on the health benefits of footbikes is available at:

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