4 Reasons Biking is the Best Activity to Do
Everyone learns to ride their bike as a young kid, but how many still do it?
With work and everyday errands consuming your every moment, it wasn’t always easy to dedicate time for a nice bike ride. In fact, if you can find a way to even sneak in a twenty or thirty-minute bike ride either before or after work/school, etc., it is still something! Once I really started to go on more bike rides, I grew such a greater appreciation for it, and actually, it’s become so much more than just an activity to keep me busy and healthy, but it’s a lifestyle and a passion for me. It might seem like a lonely sport with no team collaboration; however, I think I need some time to get lost in my thoughts and biking truly brings me joy. I find that my endurance and physique have improved tenfold. I generally live a very healthy lifestyle, I have a pretty good metabolism and biking really brought all of that to the next level. Eight miles here and four miles there adds up and let me tell you, after biking so much, I have built up the endurance to bike upwards of twenty-five miles no problem. Wherever you are in the world, whether that is a colder or warmer climate, biking is ALWAYS an option. Many people have found a way to bike with personal at-home cycling machines such as the Peleton. In addition, I have my own bike that I absolutely adore, but when it’s too cold to ride outside, I want to become a member at a gym and use those bikes and even join cycling classes through Soul Cycle or ClassPass.
I had alluded to this before, but biking is a mental break from reality. When I go for a ride, I truly have time on my side. Time is limitless and I can really get lost in my thoughts. I actually have a pretty solid routine for a bike ride. Firstly, I try to wake up early to take advantage of that productive feeling of being awake and active before anyone else (I am a very competitive person so this mindset keeps me going). Secondly, I make sure my headphones are charged, put on my favorite playlist, and BAAM, I am ready to go on a long ride! I track all of my rides through Strava. It’s seriously the best app where not only can you track your cycling, but also your running too! Download the Strava app here. Even when the weather is not ideal outside, you can still resort to indoor bikes at your local gym to stay in shape the best way! If I still haven’t convinced you yet, just keep reading honey!! Presenting to you why biking is the best activity to do while social distancing!
1. It’s Safer than Public Transportation
Let’s just start with the most obvious reason. Would you rather take public transportation with COVID infected pedestrians or ride at your own leisure and avoid unnecessary contact with the general public? Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE taking the train. I am a diehard New Yorker and consider taking the train because I don’t have my driver’s license. Actually, now I can’t even use that because I got my license in January of 2021, soooo there goes that. Anywho, I still don’t trust myself to drive, and sometimes public transportation takes longer than the bike ride. You heard me. Delays on the train really add up and in that time you could be breezing through the city streets to your destination.
Biking is so much safer and allows you to social distance. Considering you can’t necessarily bike really close to someone, it is a natural barrier to protect you and to maintain your social distancing. When you think about how many people go on the train, it’s really eye-opening to the number of germs. I know that you cannot necessarily boycott the MTA as New Yorkers are pretty reliant on it, there are ways to use it less.
When biking, you automatically social distance, so what’s not to like? Here are some additional tips I have for bike riding!
- I bike early in the morning to avoid crowds
- I am constantly observing my surroundings so that I bike away from big crowds and choose the path less taken.
- I wear a mask to prevent germs from spreading (of course when you are feeling tired take it off from time to time to allow you to breathe)
- I carry hand sanitizer with me
2. It Improves Your Health
Instead of being cooped up in the house, I go biking to get fresh air and clear my head of any stressors. Try it, you won’t be disappointed! I mentioned this earlier, but it is very therapeutic to go for long bike rides and really take this time to be lost in your thoughts. It also makes me feel really good and productive that I am improving my physical and mental health all while doing something that I truly enjoy doing. This pretty much goes for any physical fitness activity because you are releasing endorphins that are very good for your health. Even if you are not sure if biking is the right activity for you (which I don’t know how haha), just kidding, but at the end of the day, do what makes you happy.
A Typical Bike Ride Includes
- Listening to a nice playlist and biking my heart out!
- Tracking my exercise with my Fitbit. (I always try to beat my times and work on improving myself as well)
- Taking a break to read a few chapters of my book
- Thinking about life and setting new goals for myself
3. You Learn Different Parts of Your Town
This was an unexpected skill that I learned from biking that I didn’t think I would appreciate more and more. Now, this might vary depending on where you live, but Brooklyn is such a large borough and in my opinion and there are so many areas that I knew about, but got a better understanding when I started to bike through them more. As I have mentioned, I do not have a driver’s license, so while on car rides, I never really paid attention to which highway leads to which street and so on. It truly wasn’t until I started putting in random locations into Google Maps that I started to connect it all! I have always taken the train everywhere and since biking more and more, I started to get a better sense of direction in relation to the places I have been to already. If you are in a similar situation as me and want to get a better sense of navigational skills, then I would seriously consider investing in either a bike or a citibike rental and start strolling around your neighborhood.
Some Places I Have Biked To
4. Fresh Start to Your Day
It’s so easy to fall into an unproductive routine. Let’s face it, we’ve all been there at one point. Bike riding had truly helped me to feel more productive. Especially as we tend to think negatively with all of these stressors going on, it’s extremely important to find ways to boost serotonin and one of the best ways to do that is through improving your physical health. I typically start my rides in the morning as it is a great way to feel productive, which is basically my middle name haha! If you have time to before work or school, I would recommend even going for a ten or twenty-minute bike ride because it could really make that much of a difference. It takes about 90 days to really build a habit so if you are serious about improving your physical health and have an interest in cycling, then this is for sure the activity for you!
It’s my preferred method of working out because it doesn’t feel like you’re doing much, but after a while, you realize that you’re getting stronger with every ride! Here are some health benefits of cycling.
Health Benefits of Regular Cycling
- Increased muscle strength and flexibility
- Improved posture and coordination
- Strengthened bones
- Decreased body fat levels
- Reduced anxiety and depression
It’s the New Trend!
Trek organized a survey in April and gathered that 21% have ridden their bike more during the pandemic. Even though that may seem like a small percentage, that are still a lot more people riding and getting some fresh air. It’s pretty common in other countries for people to even bike to work instead of commute via public transportation. Say goodbye to public transportation and driving for that matter as well. Could bike riding be the new mode of transportation that we have all been waiting for? In countries like Denmark, which is the most bicycle-friendly country in the world, 9/10 people own a bike and 4/10 own a car. Forget paying $2.75 for a trip and invest in a bicycle that contributes to a better and healthier lifestyle for yourself and the environment.
“21% have ridden their bike more during COVID”
The Trek Blog
An Open Letter to Biking
Biking, I love you so so much! It’s truly maintained by six-pack and crazy to think about how I was able to bike so many miles in 2021, you’ll get the number later down the line. It takes a lot of hard work to be able to maintain abs while not working out every day and especially since I don’t have a gym membership. In my opinion, being fit is about 75% a mental game and 25% physical one also taking into account genetics too. I’m not going to lie to you, growing up, I’ve always been super fit & active so I don’t have all the answers because everyone is different and has different goals. I’m pretty much the same weight I was back in high school and haven’t really made any distinct lifestyle changes, except for biking.
You guys know me, I am super active. I mean, I ALWAYS need to be doing something and biking has really enabled my extremely active personality and constant need to do something at all times. It’s insane that in 2021 I biked 1,400 miles (that’s biking all the way to cuba🤯)!! Biking has quickly become such a hobby of mine that I hope everyone has the chance to find a passion as strong as this one. It’s amazing because anywhere you travel has bikes. If you’re in a city, you can rent their Citi bikes and even get a membership if you plan to be there for some time. If you’re along a nice beach, there’s usually an opportunity to rent beach cruisers and cruise along! Now I know there aren’t bikes in EVERY destination, but it’s reassuring to know that you don’t have to ship your bike to your destination. Cheers to biking and staying active!
Bike Gear Essentials
Bike Phone Holder
This is so handy because when I am using my GPS, I can easily access Google Maps and even change some songs on my playlists as well!
Bike Bag
Another underestimated bike gadget that really helps you carry the essentials such as water and some snacks for the go! When I am riding with a backpack on, my back gets so sweaty and I feel so uncomfortable.
So Now You’re All Ready: Take the Great Cycle Challenge and Fight Children’s Cancer!
What are you waiting for? Start biking today and raise money to fight children’s cancer. I saw this advertisement and decided it was time to turn this hobby into a good cause. For the month of September, the Great Cycle Challenge helps to support research and development of treatments to find a cure for childhood cancer. It’s simple to sign up, click the link, follow the steps, and most importantly, start biking! Not up for it, totally okay, donate if you can and spread the word!
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