Health Benefits of Unicycling

Unicycling is good for you, your community, and our planet.

Good for Body and Mind

Brain Development

In Korea, people buy unicycles because research there has shown that you learn faster, have higher intelligence and better health. In Japan the vast majority of school children learn to ride. It is a part of the standard curriculum. Just as juggling is known to prove hand-eye coordination, unicycling improves balance and motor skills.

Personally, our experience is that

• a long week of sitting in front of a computer can make your back and neck tired and sore. A big MUni ride in the weekend makes it all better.
• a difficult technical / intellectual problem that we have been struggling with for days can frequently be solved during a long unicycle ride.

Personal Fitness

Many New Zealand organisations promote the benefits of regular exercise, including Sparc, the Hilary Commission, Push Play, local sports funding bodies. Unicycling is beneficial because it is

• low impact (easier on joints and ligaments than something like jogging)
• aerobic (yep, you puff and sweat riding up a hill)
• skill-based (there is always some new trick to work on, no matter how long you have been riding)

Self Confidence

Your ability to ride a challenging obstacle or piece of terrain is often limited by your mind. Its easy to ride a white line painted on the road, but riding a piece of wood the same width feels much harder. Lift that piece of wood a metre off the ground (eg as a fence railing- still the same width) and few can ride it. But its the same width, same unicycle, same rider! Finding ways to face the mental challenge and overcome the fear are life-skills that will be used over and over in many situations.

You'll often hear unicyclists laugh and say "That looks impossible! I've got to try it!". Take that attitude into school, work, or business and you are unstoppable!

Community Building

The unicycling community is a great place to hang out. There are clubs around the country who welcome new riders. They keep unicycles that beginners can learn on, and are almost always happy to spend time to teach you new skills no matter what your level of ability. There is a positive vibe when riding together: each time we encourage each other to stretch our limits and do something we have never done before.

People on the street smile and wave when a unicyclist goes past. Teachers invite us into schools. Community groups invite us to come and teach or do skills demonstrations. People love having unicyclists around because it is different and creative. Its nice to be able to add a few smiles back in to the city just by doing something you love.

Unicycling and the Environment

Some interesting studies have attempted to work out the carbon footprint of a bicycle. It is surprisingly high. A unicycle has half the number of tyres and roughly one quarter the amount of metal frame. It (usually) has no chain or gears, no brakes, and therefore many fewer moving parts. Simpler manufacturing means lower environmental impact.

Kris Holm Unicycles are ambassadors for "1% for the planet" http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/, an organisation challenging businesses to take a lead role in environmental stewardship. Kris has a keen eye for environmental protection and is working hard to make sure his products are better for the planet.

Unicycle.com works hard to minimise their enrivonmental impact through

• Ordering direct from the factory to minimise the transportation of products
• Minimising the amount of non-recyclable packaging in our products
• Recycling cardboard and paper: your order may arrive in a recycled box!
• Operating a "lights out" warehouse: heating and lighting are switched off when the warehouse is not in use
• Working with like-minded companies who also care about the planet
• Eating fewer baked beans to, um, reduce our own emissions (just joking: wanted to see if you were really paying attention!)

Start Now!

Join the revolution. Ride on one wheel! Call us for more information on how to get started.

[David: don't copy this]