The Health Benefits of Cycling to Work

For most people, commuting to work is a necessary evil that will only be taken care of when a teleportation device gets invented.

That said, until this important invention gets concocted, the folks who need to go from A to B on a day-to-day basis don’t have many options – and most of them intuitively close in on commuting as their way of going to and fro work.

Now, as annoying as commuting is, what makes it particularly tough for many people would be the fact that it prompts you to sit in one spot, or stand (if it’s a crowded metro, for example), only to arrive at work and then sit there some more. The science is fairly clear nowadays when it comes to leading a sedentary lifestyle – it is, indeed, as bad as smoking or even worse if you fail to work out regularly.

In this article, we’re going to present to you a way of getting to work that involves getting plenty of exercises, successfully going from point A to B, and also cutting down on your commuting fees.

We’re talking about cycling, of course – an activity many consider a form of exercise only performed in the Netherlands and France during that competition where they cycle around while forgetting about its rather obvious qualities when it comes to the department of transportation, so to speak.

Here are some of the most important benefits you can experience if you opt to cycle to work.

Keeps You Fit

One of the most obvious benefits of cycling or any form of physical activity is that it keeps you fit.

As we already said, leading a sedentary lifestyle is considered to be on a par with smoking when it comes to the harmful consequences, so if you have the chance to go to work on your bike rather than on foot, you might want to consider taking up cycling.

While cycling isn’t necessarily the best way to build muscle, it’s certainly going to increase your endurance and strengthen your leg muscles, as well as your entire body to an extent.

If you love cycling, and you ride a bike even in winter, check out this guide https://www.globosurfer.com/best-winter-cycling-shoes/ that will help you choose winter cycling shoes.

Second Breakfast

And that’s a guilt-free second breakfast we’re talking about, too.

If you’re going to cycle to work every morning, you have the necessary excuse to add another, fourth meal to your daily roster. (Not counting the snacks, of course.)

The thing is, cycling burns calories and if you do it regularly, you need to have a way of replenishing the lost energy after you arrive at your destination. The best thing about it is that this is not only a mental guilt thing. It also means that you can have that additional breakfast – and not get fat along the way.

So, if you like food but dislike getting fat, hopping on your bike to go to work may be an excellent way of regulating your daily exercise and food intake regimen.

Increased Navigational Skills

One thing you will become good at if you cycle every day is navigating the streets of your city.

Just as London cabbies are known to have extensive knowledge of all the streets and back alleys in the city of London, by cycling to work regularly, you will also gradually start to master the mental map of your city or town. (Unless you live close to work and your cycle ride lasts for two minutes.)

The thing is, whether through some good ole curiosity or through having to find another way around a road works sign, you will keep discovering new alternative routes to work, thus increasing your spatial awareness and navigational skills.

Larger Social Circle

Birds of a feather flock together and folks on bikes…tend to be drawn to other folks on bikes. That’s the saying.

So, if you take up cycling as your way of going around town to get to work, you can expect to meet some well-meaning like-minded people along the way. Bicycles need maintenance and people who use them regularly will likely have spare parts and tools for fixing them, so if you get to know some avid cyclists, you certainly will have an easier time dealing with flat tires and other maintenance issues that pop up along the way.

So, if you fancy going to and from work on bicycles, one of the byproducts of it would be that you will meet some interesting folks along the way.

All in all, cycling represents a great way to move about your town or city as well as to make going to work a fun, physical experience rather than just a boring commute. So, as long as the distance to work isn’t too great, taking up cycling can be an excellent way to improve both your physical and mental health, meet some new folks, and then get to work on time, as well.