Contrary to popular opinion, e-bike riders use their bikes more than regular cyclists. According to a report in the Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives Journal, e-bikers take longer trips than cyclists.
Someone on an e-bike will cycle a greater distance, compensating for any physical exertion loss. In other words, a cyclist who switches to an e-bike is likely to cover a greater distance, more or less evening out the loss in physical activity.
The greatest benefit comes to those who change from a car to an e-bike. If you take your car trips by e-bike instead, on average, it provides more than the recommended minimum physical activity per week.
As the WHO reports, 1 in 6 of us will experience some kind of disability in our lifetimes, but e-bikes could be a part of the solution when it comes to maintaining an active lifestyle even with limitations.
E-bikes enable individuals to maintain an active lifestyle well into their later years. The study Effects of E-Biking on Older Adults demonstrates that e-bikes provide older generations with the opportunity to exercise, even as they age.