Each morning as I head to the club at o’dark thirty to inflict workout pain on my clients, I enviously notice more cycling commuters on the road. I wish I could bag the drive and join the growing .55 percent of Americans who use a bicycle as their primary means to get to work. Experts say the numbers are growing. I had a hard time nailing down the exact number of commuter cyclists but did discover that, according to the League of American Bicyclists, the numbers have increased 14 percent from 2007 to 2008. Who knows, maybe there are even more bike commuters on the road now?
As I mentioned earlier, I wish I were one of them, however, currently I’m not living in the most bike friendly community and I’ve promised those closest to me that I’d not make myself a target in the dark for bike commuter haters. So I’ll have to wait and save it for when I relocate to my little bike friendly mountain paradise (Steamboat Springs, CO).
Have you thought about bike commuting or adding riding to your weekly routine? If not, here are 6 reasons to dust off your bike or buy one and give it a try.
1.) Cycling is a great joint sparing form of exercise. Biking unlike running will give you many more miles on those precious knees, hips, ankles and feet.
2.) Biking torches calories more than you’d think. Because you use major muscle groups in the legs and glutes an average 135lb women cycling 12-14 mph can burn about 600 kcal per hour. Man this is killin me… If I were able to bike to work I could burn about 1,500 extra calories a day. If only I lived in a safer place.
3.) You can bike on the go. When you bike to work or while you run errands you automatically build your movement into your day. You don’t have to worry about fitting something in. It’s a habit just like brushing your teeth.
4.) Cycling is a mood booster. Biking, like any other exercise releases the feel good hormone dopamine. What a way to start the day! Automatic anti-crab pill, especially if you have a tendency to be a little grumpy in the morning.
5.) Biking saves money. Not only will you be moving more, but you’ll also be putting money you’d spend on gas in the bank.
6.) Bicycling not only pumps you up, but it protects your pump. Heart disease is the number one killer for women in the US. Cycling is a cardiovascular activity that lowers your blood pressure and LDL (not so good) cholesterol. Double bonus!
What do ya think? Even if bike commuting isn’t a possibility for you, why not consider it as one of your exercise choices? Shrink your waist, fatten your wallet and boost your mood. That’s a lot of bang for your buck.
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. . . and don't forget to wear a helmet!
That’s for sure. Harasmo with a “H” for helmet…
Helmets a must as well as good lights front and back. San Antonio is not the most bike friendly community, but there are some little known routes that can get you around town safer than the main roads. Oddly some of those routes are not bike laned roads but just roads off the busiest car traveled routes. I miss commuting until summer when the kids stay home and I am not the "Daddy Taxi". I look at it as two built in workouts, going and coming. With Nuride you can also get points for free stuff for commuting with your bike.
Great suggestions. Sure do wish there were more bike lanes. There’s always hope that will change. That’s why when I road ride I go at off traffic times on the back roads. Made the mistake of riding a couple times when the High School close to my house lets out. Not a good idea….