BROWSE > Home Page / Going Green | Greening your health - Advantages of riding to work
Advantages of riding to work
Introduction
Riding your bike to work can improve your physical health, save you money, avoid adding to pollution
and contribute to making your city more eco-friendly. In the rush hour, biking is often faster than
driving!
What are the advantages of riding to work?
A. Cardiovascular fitness
Studies show that a regular cyclist has greater general fitness and
health than a sedentary person of the same age. They add over 2 years to their life expectancy and
they are less like to become depressed.
The medical profession generally advises a minimum of 20 minutes of moderate cardiovascular work-out
exercise to keep fit. If you feel unfit, then you need to start slow and work up to 20 minutes of
exercise. One suggestion is to start by going easy on the exercise bike in the gym first and then
slowly increasing your exercise tolerance to 20 minutes.
B. Weight loss
60% of the US is either overweight or obese, mostly as a result of our reduced levels of exercise. This
is mostly due to our increased reliance of usage of the car and a fall in walking and bike riding.
Not only does cycling just burn calories, a loss of weight also builds self confidence. Therefore,
cycling is also good for your health and general sense of well being.
C. Less air pollution
Firstly, the bicycle does not contribute to air pollution.
Secondly, research shows that cyclists are exposed to 2-3 times less pollution than drivers of cars.
This is because the cyclist does not need to wait behind other cars as traffic progresses at a snail
pace during heavy traffic. In a car, the ventilation system sucks in the emission from the exhaust of
the vehicle in front. This cocktail of noxious gases are linked to cancer and respiratory diseases.
D. Less noise pollution
Traffic noises, created mainly by cars, cause stress. In a large metropolis, there is almost no escape.
However, if there were fewer car trips and more bicycle trips, we can regain quieter and cleaner urban
spaces.
E. Safer environment
Because car accidents occur at higher speeds than bike accidents, morbidity and mortality of the community
suffer. If there were fewer cars on the roads, the risk of significant accidents would reduce, making it
a safer environment for the community.
F. Cycling saves money
Even taking into consideration the cost of buying a bicycle, it has been found that cycling is cheaper than
the cost of running a car and parking fees.
G. Cycling increases flexibility and is quicker than a car
Traffic jams and train delays do not affect cyclists, making them the more punctual employees. As
evidence of the flexibility and speed of cycling, our world's busiest cities utilise bicycle messengers,
and not car couriers, to make urgent deliveries. If more people ride bicycles, congestion levels,
particularly in our cities, will fall.
