Is Riding A Dirt Bike Good Exercise (What’s The Calorie Burn?)

Does dirt bike riding help you exercise and how many calories do I burn when riding?

What many people don’t know who have never ridden a dirt bike before, is how much hard work it is. Many ask ‘is riding a dirt bike good exercise?’ and the simple answer is yes.

Is riding a dirt bike good exercise? Dirt bike riding is good exercise as it tones your muscles and strengthens your core, whilst giving you a vigorous workout and an increased heart rate. Motocross is one of the toughest sports on the planet, as controlling a dirt bike around a motocross track requires the use of every muscle in your body.

Whilst dirt biking is good exercise, it’s also great fun at the same time and much more exciting than going to the gym.

Is riding a motorcycle a good workout?

For those of you that hate going to the gym, perhaps an alternative like dirt bike riding may be the answer. Dirt biking is good exercise, but it’s fun exercise.

If you want a good work out, then get on a dirt bike for a few laps of a motocross course. I guarantee you’ll find out just how fit you are, or not as the case may be.

Your arms will be pumped (or arm pump), you’ll be our of breath and you’ll be extremely hot with a high heart rate.

Many non-dirt bike riders don’t understand how riding a dirt bike helps you exercise. Surely the dirt bike is doing most of the work right? Surely, all you do is to twist the throttle.

Yes both of these are true, but you’d be wrong about the bike doing most of the work. It’s the rider who is controlling the bike in tricky conditions.

Motocross is one of the toughest sports on the planet. But many studies of athletes have excluded dirt bike riders or motocross riders due to the niche-ness of the sport. But if you compare a motocross rider at their peak, you’ll find that they are in peak physical fitness. They have to be in order to compete!

The manoeuvring, of the dirt bike requires a lot of strength, power and endurance.

But let’s take a look at why it does tire you out.

Studies have shown that motocross riders when compared against athletes from other demanding sports were at a higher level of physical fitness. Sport people such as football, basketball, NFL, track athletes and soccer players were included in these studies.

Why dirt bike riding is good exercise

The reason why dirt bike riding is good exercise is that almost every single muscle in your body is used.

From the tips of your fingers that are used to grip onto the handle bars, use the front brake, control the clutch, control the throttle and seer the bike. To the tips of your toes, where you feet are used to guide you around corners, use the rear brake, change gear and take the weight of your body during jumps.

Core strength is key, as your trunk needs to be strong. Your whole body is used to keep the dirt bike stable and upright and is all linked back to your core muscles like your abs and back muscles.

Your other muscles like your arms and calf muscles are put under stress too. As are your shoulders and your thigh muscles. No muscle is left out of a workout on a dirt bike, which is why it’s such good exercise.

How many calories does riding a dirt bike burn?

It’s a fact, dirt bike riding does burn calories. Some ask why…surely it’s the dirt bike is doing all the hard work?

Riding a motorcycle requires upper and lower body strength. And this is just to keep the motorbike upright. This concept is particularly true for dirt bike riding. Especially when you’re riding off-road, which is most of the time on a dirt bike.

Going through ruts, around tree stumps, over jumps etc. takes more active balance control. This in turn uses up more energy and therefore burns more calories.

When you steer your dirt bike and maneuvering it through different types of rough terrain, you are using more energy. you use far more energy and burn far more calories that you would on a road bike.

Take one or two goes around a motocross course when you’ve not done it for a while and you’ll be out of breath and sweating buckets!

I remember a time when I’d not ridden for a few months and I had to come off the course after only a few times around. My arms were pumped and I was knackered!

The number of calories you burn on a dirt bike depends on a few factors

The number of calories you burn dirt bike riding depends on many things. Any type of riding that makes you ride with more effort, will make you burn more calories.

For example, the larger the dirt bike and the more power it has, the more you calories you’d burn.

To give you an idea of how many calories riding a dirt bike burns, motocross riding is equivalent to moderate swimming. For example, motocross rider can burn around 400 calories every hour of riding.

I hope you enjoyed this article about is riding a dirt bike good exercise

I’d love to hear from you. Tell us about your adventures of dirt biking in the comments below. Please also share your photos. Either from your cameras or videos from your Gopro’s!

If this article hasn’t answered all of your questions. If you have more questions about dirt biking (or specifically about is riding a dirt bike good exercise), please comment below with your questions.

There will also be many more articles about dirt biking for you to read and learn about this fabulous sport and hobby.

Have fun and be safe!