May is National Bike month and great way to get outdoors and enjoy the spring weather. Biking is a great aerobic exercise, it’s an economical and environmentally-friendly transportation option and it’s fun. These reasons go a long way to explaining why it’s enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent years. According to the League of American Bicyclists, “The National Household Travel Survey showed that the number of trips made by bicycle in the U.S. more than doubled from 1.7 billion in 2001 to 4 billion in 2009.”
Commuting to work via bike is also on the rise, especially in bike-friendly communities (BFCs):
From 2000 to 2013, bicycle commuting rates in large BFCs increased 105% — far above the national average of 62% and more than double the rate in non-BFCs (31%).
Here’s your chance to jump on the bicycle bandwagon:
- National Bike to Work Week 2016 will be held on May 16-20.
- Bike to Work Day is May 20!
Organizations can encourage and support employees who bike to work. See our prior post on ideas for becoming a bike friendly workplace
The Health Benefits of Biking
Biking is fun, healthy, economical and low impact on the environment. Here are some good reasons to add biking to your fitness regime:
- Burn calories, reduce weight gain
- Strengthen your muscles
- Improve cardiovascular fitness
- Develop lower body strength
- Improve balance
- Decrease risk of heart disease
- Reduce stress
- Improve your sleep
- Enjoy the great outdoors
- Improve your mood
- Clarify your mind
- Get there faster than by walking
- Save money
- Save the planet
- Have fun
It’s easy to have a lot of excuses for not biking to work. Here’s a great infographic on Overcoming Bike Commuter Concerns – click the link for a larger version.
