Biking to work is a great way to change up your everyday routine and to enjoy your commute. Here are ten compelling reasons why you should consider strapping your helmet on and riding your bike to work.
1. Cycling to work is a great way to incorporate exercise into your routine
Everyone knows exercise is crucial for good health, but most people have trouble finding time to exercise as much as they’d like to. Who has time to spend an hour at the gym in between work and making dinner every day? If you struggle to fit workouts into your busy schedule, biking to work could be the perfect solution for you. Biking utilizes time you’d lose to your commute anyways, and it’s a great way to ensure you stay consistent with your workout schedule. Riding a bike will give you toned legs and glutes, and it burns about 400 calories an hour, which will help you drop a few pounds or give you more wiggle room to indulge in dessert.
2. Getting on a bike every day can boost your happiness
Riding your bike could help you feel happier. Exercise is a natural antidepressant; it causes your body to produce endorphins, chemicals that give you a natural mood boost. After your morning bike ride, you’ll arrive at work feeling wide awake and optimistic before you’ve even had your first cup of coffee. Exercise is the perfect cure for stress, and cycling home will help you de-stress from the day so you can relax at home.
3. You’ll slash your risk of disease by biking to work
Staying active slashes your chances of developing diseases like heart disease and cancer. The key is to get some physical activity most days of the week, instead of just working out sporadically.
4. Biking to work saves you money
Gas is expensive and so is wear and tear on your car. When you bike to work, you’ll cut back on your driving expenses dramatically. Depending on how long your commute is, you could save yourself thousands of dollars every year. You may accumulate some wear and tear on your bike, but fixing a bike is far cheaper and simpler than fixing a car.
5. Biking is great for the environment
It’s easy to forget or ignore the fact that driving is terrible for the environment, especially when you drive a car every day. But the less you use your car, the more the planet will thank you. If you’ve been meaning to overhaul your lifestyle to be more eco-friendly, biking to work is a great first step. And if your coworkers notice your new method of commuting, you could even inspire them to swap their own gas guzzlers for bikes.
6. You’ll never have to worry about getting stuck in a traffic jam
Driving to work might seem faster than biking to work, until you hit a traffic jam. There’s nothing more frustrating than inching along in traffic, hoping you won’t be late. When you ride a bike, though, you’ll be able to zip right by those traffic jams. You may even be able to find bike-friendly shortcuts that get you to work faster than you could drive.
7. You’ll avoid picking up germs from public transportation
Riding a bus or subway is better for the environment than driving your own car, but you still run a significant risk of picking up germs. When you’re stuck in an enclosed space and somebody sneezes or coughs near you, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll end up catching whatever they’ve got. Biking to work in the clean, open air will help you avoid catching the sniffles or the stomach flu. In addition, regular exercise actually strengthens your immune system, so you’ll be less vulnerable to picking up bugs at work, too.
8. Getting started is easy
To become a bike commuter, you don’t need a fancy bike that costs thousands of dollars. Just about any bike will do the job, as long as it’s in good repair. You might even have a bike in the garage that you can dust off and take for a spin. If you don’t have a bike, look for a bike shop in your area.
9. Biking is safer than ever before
In some areas, especially the United States, biking has gotten a reputation for being unsafe. However, the truth is that biking is safer now than it’s ever been before. Bike lanes and bike paths are being built all the time, and as more bikers take to the streets, drivers are becoming increasingly careful. The more people use biking as a form of transportation, the safer it will continue to become, so don’t be afraid to get out there.
10. Riding a bike is fun
There are all kinds of practical reasons to ride a bike to work, but the most compelling reason might be that biking is just plain fun. There’s something thrilling about gliding along on a bike, especially if you haven’t done it in a while.
Switch your morning drive for a morning cycle; you’ll love how good it makes you feel.
