A scoping review of bicycling interventions' impacts on psychological, social, affective, and cognitive well-being

Bicycling, inclusive of cycling on trail or road, and stationary forms, is recognized for its substantial physical benefits and has gained attention for its broader impact on dimensions of well-being. Evidence demonstrates that bicycling improves cardiovascular fitness, body composition, and metabolic health while serving as an effective strategy for exercise promotion and disease prevention. Beyond physical outcomes, growing evidence supports bicycling's impact on psychological and cognitive domains of well-being from large associative studies, active travel, and bicycling programs.

This scoping review synthesizes research examining the impact of bicycling interventions on psychological, social, affective, and cognitive domains of well-being. Database searches of EBSCOhost, ProQuest, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, and PubMed identified relevant studies. Of the 1,653 studies identified, 87 studies met inclusion criteria.

A majority of studies implemented acute, indoor bicycling interventions assessing cognitive outcomes. Synthesized results indicate positive impacts of bicycling on well-being, including improved mood, reduced depressive symptoms, increased social connection, and enhanced cognitive functioning, especially among interventions occurring outdoors and over multiple sessions. Affective and cognitive outcomes varied by intervention, context, and population.

This scoping review reinforces bicycling as a multidimensional modality for promoting well-being by synthesizing findings from 87 intervention studies across 19 countries. Notable improvements across well-being domains emerged, particularly in multi-session, outdoor interventions. Findings underscore the necessity for translational and inclusive community-based research beyond indoor environments, and exploration of how unique bicycling features (i.e., outdoor exposure, social opportunity, and meaningful routine) promote holistic well-being across the lifespan.