Christie Renee
May 15, 20193 min
Since 1956, communities around the nation have celebrated May as National Bike Month and highlighted all the benefits and reasons you should take up biking every once in a while, if not daily. Associations and companies like Big Shark, Trailnet, and Washington Area Bicyclist Associations provide information and services on the physical, economic, social, and environmental benefits of riding a bike, how and where to ride a bike safely, where to buy bikes and accessories and get your bike fixed, and even how you can influence legislation and development as it relates to bike and pedestrian safety. Some of these programs even cash you out for getting a bikeshare membership and using it as a commuting option! Aint that something!!?
Now I know it sounds good...or boring but let's really get into some of the benefits to bicycling outside of chiseling those thighs.
Cost Savings
Can you remember a period when you didn't have to pay for gas, insurance, a car note, or parking? Let's relive that era. I'd rather spend about $308/yr on bike costs than at least $8000/year on car shit.
Reduces healthcare costs. When you're more physically active, meaning you sweated a lil bit and got your heart rate up for at least 20 minutes a day, you generally have fewer health issues, reducing healthcare costs by up to $500 a year! SHOOO that's a vacation somewhere!!
Sustainability
Reduces toxic emissions. Think global warming. Cars put out .97lbs of pollution per mile annually. That's HELLA smog in your lungs, on your face and all! So biking to work, for example, improves the environment and your physical health. We will get to that in a minute.
Reduces automobile congestion. I know you're tired of all that traffic everyday
Reduces noise pollution. This is critical in restoring wild life, reducing road kill and MAINTAINING MY DAMN HEARING from all of these cars zooming by and honking.
Health
Prevent a heartbreak. According to this San Francisco Bay Area study, increasing biking and walking from 4 to 24 minutes a day on average can reduce cardiovascular disease and diabetes by 14%. In other words, it may help you get off and/or avoid blood pressure medicine, maintain blood sugar levels and more.
Improve your social health. When was the last time you enjoyed some good clean fun with ya folks? You know, family biking day by the lake or just through a local park or something? Biking can definitely help restore, maintain and expand relationships.
So that's that on that!! Are you gunna try bike riding anytime soon?? I challenge you!! No, for real!! For the remainder of Bike Month, I challenge you to:
Enjoy a bike ride with friends and/or family for at least 30 minutes. Find a local park or trail.
Ride your bike to work or have your kids ride their bikes to school
Take a bike safety class and re-up on your bike accessories
Trick out your bike with the baseball card and crazy paint job. Teach the chil'ren too! They've been missing out these days
Take a bike riding class or official tour of an area
Compete in a bike miles challenge locally or with friends on apps- see below
Join your local spin class
Sign up for a bikeshare membership
Didn't think you'd be riding a bike again huh? Ha!! But no for real! Have fun with it!! It's spring/summer! Get some sun and what not! Whichever action(s) you choose, make sure you post ya pics and tag Gutted Fitness on your social media* and use #GuttedOnBike! or should we use #GuttedTakeBike?? HMM have fun!
-XOXO Chris
*Apps
Strava
MapMyRide
Endomondo
The Love to Ride app