Seniors Are Getting Fun Rides On These Couch Bikes To Help Alleviate Senior Loneliness

The Free Press

Senior Loneliness is real. The older folks are often left at home or in homes as the younger members of the family go on living their lives. They’re often stuck at the same four walls that they often feel desolate. They do need cheering at times, and some wonderful volunteers have offered up the perfect solution.


What’s the best way to alleviate loneliness? The easiest and most effective way is probably a stroll outside. This is sometimes not easy for the disabled seniors to do. Hence, the couch bikes have been invented just so they get to see the sun and enjoy the sites, adding a little more sparkle to an otherwise monotonous day.

Cycling Without Age

In cities in several parts of the world, volunteers have been more than happy to make the elderly happy. They are now driving the elderly and people with disabilities using bikes as they take them out a spin. These so-called special tricycles have a couch on them so that their clients are able to have fun while they’re out in the great outdoors.

The new program is called Cycling Without Age (CWA). The amazing group is finally up and riding out again in Scotland. Thanks to the relaxation of the COVID-19 restrictions that were once set. They have been more than happy to reengage these folks for the scientifically-proven method for enhancing well-being in the seniors citizens.

The idea of Cycling Without Age first started in Denmark in 2012. Thanks to the endeavors made of two good-hearted folks, one of whom was Ole Kassow of Copenhagen. Their desire to help the elderly and less-able folks in the area and allow get back on their bicycles had them thinking of the best ways to cater to those in need. They came up with the design of a ‘trishaw.’ This was equipped with a two-person bench slated at the very front of the bike. This was where the passengers could sit comfortable whilst enjoying the view of the city.


Years have passed and now, there are around 2,700 chapters worldwide. They have over 3,700 trishaws in the program. Clients would be those who need to lift their spirits. Bystanders can attest to the fact that this works as the obvious benefits become apparent on their faces while they’re sitting in the carriages.

The Scottish government had taken note of this and immediately provided support to the nonprofit. They have, in fact, have already chartered its services since 2017. Today, it’s available for free and most parts of the country. There’s a total of 27 local authorities who have taken part in the project, which has to date provided rides to a total of 43,500 Scots. Credit can be given to the thousands of volunteers who were more than willing to be their personal peddlers.

Passengers and bike drivers have since been enjoying sea and mountain views as they traverse through many of the most beautiful regions in the country, and it’s done them so much good.

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In order for them to quantify the true value of CWA, the Ageing Lab at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh worked hard on their own just to measure the effects of a ride day versus a non-ride day. They called in dozens of participants for the research and they have already taken at least four rides. After the experience, they were then asked to describe their mood, stress, and energy levels after. The researchers made use of a scientific scale for this, and what they found was a strong improvement health wise on the days they had been taken out for a ride.

“They give them the right to wind in their hair,” shared a representative about the experience they had in participating with CWA.

Right now, the service comes free and has incurred no cost to the riders. As for the bikes, these have been reportedly priced at $13,000 each. While it’s a hefty sum, this hasn’t slowed down the movement happening in the organization. Right now, CWA can be found in Bolivia, Littleton, Colorado, Togo, Malaysia, and the Chicago suburbs. CWA has one main goal, and that’s to combat loneliness and isolation that’s been happening in 52 countries, and they do this by going out for rides one mile and kilometer at a time.

 

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