If you commute to work in a car on a daily basis, you are putting a lot of stress on the environment and your pocket, not to mention your nerves, which are twitching by the time you get home after wading through crowds of cars or strangers. Green commuting has long been advocated by environmental groups and governments for improving communal and personal quality of life. With its amazing health benefits and zero impact on your pocket and the environment, cycling tops the list of all green commuting ideas.
Cycling is the third most-favourite sport in the UK, where over 3 million people ride a bicycle at least once a month. Cycling to work has so many health benefits that you just cannot ignore them. Here are some of them:
Cycling is a Very Effective Exercise
Commuting is something that you need to do on a daily basis. Cycling provides the perfect exercise for strengthening and building the muscles around the lower back, hips and thighs, apart from exercising the complete body.
It’s a cardiovascular exercise, which means that cycling regularly will work the blood vessels in your heart, and you can substantially delay, if not altogether avoid developing heart trouble. You’ll be virtually free of back-ache, strained muscles, or joint problems till, hopefully, much later in your life.
Cycling Relieves Stress
There may be bad days at work (or at home), and the tendency is that people play the happenings over and over again in their minds while they are to or from work. This aggravates stress, which means that your sub-conscious is making your body ready for a fight-or-flight response by dousing the blood stream with adrenaline and other substances. As there’s no physical fight or flight at hand, the raised activity level in the body cells can cause health problems like CHD, diabetes or hypertension.
Cycling Saves You Money
Cycling takes your mind off the unpleasant or worrisome things by creating a positive distraction. The exercise that cycling provides helps burn the extra energy produced by stress. By the time you get to where you are going, your brain is brimming with oxygen (and fresh ideas), and your body is relaxed.
Cycling to work is perfect for you if your workplace is located within 10 miles of your residence. The direct savings may look miniscule if you are just considering the cost of gas. However, cycling can save you from a lot of inconvenience and medical expenses by making you stay fit for longer.
Cycling Makes You Look Smarter
Cycling for just 30 minutes a day at a steady pace, you can burn around 11 pounds of fat in a year. This doesn’t only make you healthier, but also look better. Cycling also improves motor reflexes and coordination.
The Environment Loves Cycling
Transport is the second largest source of carbon-dioxide emissions in the UK. Encouraging people to paddle to work instead of riding cars or Underground saves the environment from the greenhouse gases that these transports spew out.
A Fun Activity
Cycling is a lot of fun. It makes you feel young and free, and in control. You can go at your own pace, looking around at the people and the scenery with the wind gently blowing in your face. It gives you a whole new perspective onto things.
Cycling to work is more sustainable for the environment, your health, and your pocket. Before riding a bicycle, get your health assessed from a doctor and get your riding gear in order, especially a helmet and a raincoat, so that you can cycle to work, come hail, snow or sunshine.
