The health benefits of cycling to work!
The grey days are fading, the fine weather is returning — it's the perfect time to get your bike out and enjoy the benefits of cycling. Using a non-motorised two-wheeler for the daily commute is becoming increasingly popular. Explore the many health benefits of cycling to work!
Stay in shape
After winter, cycling to work is a great way to get back in shape and stay fit. Swapping your car for a bike (hybrid, mountain bike, road bike) has real benefits for both physical and mental health. Cycling to work is a great solution to the growing sedentary lifestyle that is becoming ever more prevalent in our society.
Cycling to work means daily physical activity that keeps you in shape. This mode of commuting is the equivalent of a gym session — without even realising it. Cycling primarily works the leg muscles: over ten muscles are activated during pedalling. As well as building muscle, you ensure better blood and lymphatic circulation in your legs. The rest of the body is engaged too: to maintain balance and keep a steady cadence, the core contracts and the arms get to work.
Cycling to work also helps manage stress. So get kitted out and get in the saddle!
The mental health benefits
Regular physical activity such as cycling genuinely benefits mental health. It helps release both physical and mental tension. The morning cycle commute sets you up for a great start to the day! And the evening ride promises to help you release the stress built up throughout the day.
It is also advisable to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine to improve sleep quality and the ability to focus on tasks, whether intellectual or manual. As a result, cycling to work has benefits for productivity at work. You'll feel more focused and therefore more effective, thanks to the positive impact on your mental wellbeing. And if all your colleagues join you, cycling — electric or standard — can have a positive impact on the whole company! Cycling to work promotes wellbeing and guarantees better health for the employees who do it. Did you know that employees who cycle to work report a 12% gain in productivity*?
So with spring arriving, get on your bike and head to work. It'll shake off the winter gloom and give you a real sense of freedom. Far from the crowded public transport or traffic jams that car drivers face, cycling to work is the answer to the winter blues. And after just a few days of cycling to work, you'll quickly feel the benefits for your body and mind. Cycling to work: the guarantee of a healthy mind in a healthy body!
Keep up your training
For sporty types, cycling to work is a great way to keep up your training! Commuting by bike is a chance to exercise without even thinking about it. Handlebar enthusiasts and dedicated cyclists will love it. As for others, such as trail running practitioners, they know all too well the benefits of cycling in their training.
In running, cross-training is recommended — meaning you shouldn't only run. It's important to complement your training week with another sport such as cycling or strength training. Running regularly without overdoing it, while incorporating other sports, benefits your health and ensures steady athletic progression.
For everyone — especially the more seasoned riders who enjoy playing with gears — make sure you have the right equipment for urban cycling. Cycling safety is paramount when riding a bike: helmet, good lighting, bell, hi-vis vest, brakes in proper working order, bike lock, etc.
But beyond being a sport and a way to keep up your training, cycling also helps develop your respiratory capacity.
Breathe better
Pedal to breathe better! Good breathing is essential for daily wellbeing. Cycling to work improves your lung capacity. Regular breathing is maintained through consistent effort. Regular cycling contributes to better oxygenation of the muscles. It is a simple and effective way to increase ventilation and airflow in the lungs — the organs responsible for supplying oxygen to cells and muscles.
Cycling works your maximum oxygen consumption used by muscles during exercise (VO2Max) and your maximum aerobic speed (MAS). During effort, the lungs demand significant oxygen uptake and diffusion. At that point, they also expel large quantities of CO2. In endurance sports like cycling, knowing your respiratory capacity is a real advantage. This is what VO2Max measures: expressed in ml.min-1.kg-1 or l.min-1, it is considered a reliable indicator of physical fitness. It can be trained and pushed further through different training methods: base endurance work, interval training, and threshold work. Over the course of sessions, the body pushes its limits and increases its VO2Max.
Cycling to breathe better — a benefit, and a way of life.
Good for you and for the planet!
Cycling to work is an eco-friendly alternative to commuting by car. You reduce your carbon footprint — a notion that has become essential. Because today, having a positive impact on the planet is everyone's responsibility! With the growing development of cycle paths, children on bikes can also ride safely from a certain age. As for the parents who accompany them, they set a great example by choosing durable mobility.
At CIMALP®, the commitment to encouraging low-carbon, soft modes of transport is extremely strong. Employees regularly use their bikes for their daily commute between home and work. This focus on cycling even led to the creation of the dedicated cycling commuter range, RainProteKt. And since 2017, the Drôme-based company has been part of the ecological transition alongside La Poste, earning carbon-neutral certification for 100% of parcels entrusted to the carrier. It offers its customers CO2-neutral deliveries!
Local authorities in France are also increasingly encouraging the use of cycling as a daily mode of transport. Towns and urban areas are among the first institutions to invite citizens to cycle, making city bikes available for free self-service use (Vélib). The Ministry of Ecology has notably introduced measures to encourage cycling among French citizens, including financial support schemes and a conversion bonus when purchasing an e-bike (VAE — electrically assisted bicycle).
And remember, what is good for the planet is inevitably good for our health!
