The health benefits of cycling to work!
The grey skies are lifting, the good days are back — it is time to get your bike out and enjoy the benefits of this activity. Using a non-motorised two-wheeler for the daily commute is 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 (city bike, mountain biking, road bike) does indeed have
physical and mental health benefits. Cycling to work is a great solution to the increasingly prevalent issue of sedentary lifestyles in our society.
And getting around by bike gives you a
daily physical activity and staying in shape. This commute by bike is the equivalent of a gym session without even realising it. Cycling primarily works the leg muscles. In fact, more than a
dozen muscles activated during pedalling. As well as building muscle, you ensure better blood and lymphatic circulation in your legs. The rest of the body is also engaged: to maintain balance and keep a steady rhythm, your core contracts and your arms get moving.
Cycling to work also has a positive effect on stress management. So
gear up and get in the saddle!
Mental health benefits
The practice of a
regular physical activity such as cycling does indeed have mental health benefits. It is indeed a way to release both physical and mental tension. The morning bike commute helps you start the day on the right foot! And the evening ride promises to help you
release stress built up throughout the day.
It is also recommended to incorporate a physical activity into your daily routine to
improving sleep quality and the ability to concentrate on tasks whether intellectual or physical. As a result, cycling to work has a positive effect on productivity at work. You will feel more focused and therefore more effective, thanks to the mental benefits it brings. And if all your colleagues join in, electric or standard bikes can have a positive impact on the whole company! The
cycling to work promotes wellbeing and guarantees better health for the employees who do it. Did you know that employees who cycle to work see a 12% boost in productivity*?
So with the arrival of spring, hop on your bike and ride to work. It will lift you out of the winter gloom and give you a sense of freedom. Far from the heavy traffic of public transport or the gridlock faced by drivers, cycling to work is the antidote to the winter blues. And after just a few days of commuting by bike, you will quickly feel the benefits on your body and mind.
Cycling to work: a guarantee of a healthy mind in a healthy body!
Keep up your training
For sporty types,
cycling to work means you can keep up your training! Cycling to work is a chance to exercise without even thinking about it. Road cyclists and cycling enthusiasts will love it. As for those who practise other sports, such as trail running, they are well aware of the benefits of cycling in their training.
In running, cross-training is recommended — meaning you should not only run. It is important to
complementing your training week with another sport such as cycling or strength training. Running regularly without doing intensive sessions, by incorporating other sports, has health benefits 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. The
cycling safety is paramount when riding a bike : helmet, good lighting, bell, hi-vis vest, brakes in good working order, bike lock, etc.
But more than a sport and an opportunity to keep up your training, cycling allows you to develop your respiratory capacity.
Breathe better
Pedal your way to better breathing!
Good breathing is essential for daily wellbeing. With cycling to work, your breathing improves. Indeed, breathing is maintained. Regular cycling contributes to
better muscle oxygenation. It is indeed a simple and effective way to increase ventilation and airflow through the lungs — the organs responsible for supplying oxygen to cells and muscles.
Cycling helps develop your maximum oxygen consumption used by the muscles during exercise (VO2Max) and your maximum aerobic speed (MAS). During exercise, the lungs demand significant oxygen capture and diffusion. At that point, they also expel large amounts of CO2. In endurance sports like cycling, it pays to know your respiratory capacity. This is what is known as VO2Max: expressed in ml.min-1.kg-1 or l.min-1, it is considered a reliable indicator of physical fitness. It can be developed and pushed further through various training methods: steady-state endurance work, interval training and threshold training.
Over time, the body pushes its limits and increases its VO2Max.
Pedalling for better breathing — a benefit and a way of life.
Good for you and for the planet!
Commuting to work by bike is an eco-friendly alternative to driving. 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 lanes,
children by bicycle can also cycle safely from a certain age. As for the parents accompanying them, they set a great example by choosing durable travel.
At CIMALP®, the commitment to
encouraging low-carbon, active modes of transport is extremely strong. Employees regularly use their bikes for their daily commute between home and work. A reflection on cycling commuting actually gave rise to the dedicated vélotaf line, RainProteKt. And since 2017, the Drôme-based company has been part of the ecological transition alongside La Poste, and has obtained carbon neutrality certification for 100% of the parcel services entrusted to the carrier. It offers its customers CO2-neutral deliveries!
Local authorities are also increasingly encouraging the use of bikes in France as a daily mode of transport. Towns and urban areas are the first institutions to invite citizens to use bikes by providing
free-hire city bikes (Vélib). The Ministry of Ecology has notably introduced measures to encourage cycling among the French population, by setting up financial support schemes and a conversion bonus when purchasing an e-bike (electrically assisted bicycle).
And don't forget,
what is good for the planet is bound to be good for our health too!
*S. Mantey/L'Equipe
