Exercise is one of the best things you can do to help manage joint pain and early osteoarthritis especially in the hips and knees. At ORI, our research has shown that low-impact activity like cycling can improve pain, function, and overall quality of life. In fact, participants in our CHAIN programme, an eight-week cycling and education initiative for people with hip osteoarthritis, consistently report reduced pain and increased activity.

If you’re starting to feel the early signs of joint stiffness, or have mild arthritis, building more activity into your day is a great first step. Cycling is ideal as it’s joint-friendly, low-impact, and easy to make part of a daily routine, such as riding to work each day!

This summer, BU is making it even easier to get started by offering free Bikeability training for staff, students, and members of the local community. The sessions are funded by Active Travel England as part of the Big Bike Revival delivered by Cycling UK.

They’re aimed at adults who haven’t cycled for a while (or ever) and are designed to help build skills, confidence, and enjoyment on two wheels. The training includes a mix of ‘Learn to Ride’ and ‘Guided Ride’ sessions, led by Dilys Gartside, a highly experienced instructor from CycleWise with over 20 years of teaching adults to cycle safely.

So, if your bike is gathering dust in the garage, or you’ve always wanted to give cycling a go, you’re nervous about cycling on the road, or your hips or knees are starting to ache, now’s the perfect time!

Book your free session here: Free Bikeability training this summer | Bournemouth University