If you’re like most of us, finding the time to fit in a workout can be hard between work, life and other obligations. Introducing a bike commute to your day could be the answer. The benefits of biking have been long known, but incorporating this workout in your commute could have ever greater health benefits. Here’s why you should give a cycle commute a try!
Get in a better mood : Exercise like biking has been shown to increase energy, reduce fatigue and even improve creative thinking and memory making you a more happy and production employee. One study even showed that men who increased their bike commuting saw improvements in overall mental health including reductions in anxiety and depression
Get more active : If you sit all day at a desk job, and then sit in a bus or car for your commute, you could be racking up 9-10 hours per day of sitting. Adding in just a bit more activity can have great health benefits, with some studies showing that those who commuted by car had a greater risk of weight gain and obesity and those who walked or biked to work were less likely to get cancer.
Protect your joints : Cycling is a great option for cardiovascular exercise for everyone because it’s much easier on your joints than something like running. It can strengthen the leg muscles without the receptive impact to the ground which has been shown to be beneficial for those with arthritis or other joint issues.
Reduce your risk of disease : A study from the British Medical Journal found that people who commuted via bike were associated with a 46% lower risk of heart disease and 45% lower risk of cancer.
Go Green: Spending less time in your car means less gas and less carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere. One study found that if just 20% of short car trips in Wisconsin were replaced with bicycle trips, it would prevent 57,405 tons of CO2 being emitted! That’s a lot of gas we can reduce!
Using your commute to get some time in the saddle can have long term health benefits after you hop off and help the environment. If you live close to your work, give this commute method a try and see what changes you can notice!
Sources:
Biking. www.arthritis.org. https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/exercise/arthritis-friendly/biking.php. Accessed June 15, 2018
Celis-Morales CA, Lyall DM, Welsh P, et al. Association between active commuting and incident cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality: prospective cohort study. Bmj. 2017. doi:10.1136/bmj.j1456.
Gill J, Celis-Morales C. Cycling to work: major new study suggests health benefits are staggering. The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/cycling-to-work-major-new-study-suggests-health-benefits-are-staggering-76292. Published June 15, 2018. Accessed June 15, 2018.
O’Mara K. 5 Life-Changing Benefits of Riding a Bike Every Day. Bicycling. https://www.bicycling.com/training/a20048427/this-is-what-happens-when-you-ride-every-day/. Published June 13, 2018. Accessed June 15, 2018.
The Societal Costs and Benefits of Commuter Bicycling: Simulating the Effects of Specific Policies Using System Dynamics Modeling. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1307250/14/. Accessed June 15, 2018.
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This information is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. Do not use the information from this article for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this article.
