This month is National Bike Month – the month to promote bike activities and get more people out riding. And today is Bike to Work day. I recently discovered the joys of riding a bike again and the idea of National Bike Month got me thinking of how I could turn this concept into a fun-activity for myself.
This past weekend, the weather was perfect to enjoy the outdoors and I decided to make the most of it by exploring the city on a bike. I live right in the middle of Washington DC and I don’t own a bike and wasn’t ready to buy one. So I looked around and found a local bike shop that rents bikes by the hour or by the day. It ended up being about $8 an hour or $24 for the day. Within my budget and a great way to spend the weekend!
My friend and I rented a couple of mountain bikes and covered a lot of distance. We rode along the Potomac and over by the airport to watch the planes take off from Reagan National Airport. We even brought sandwiches, some fruit and water and had a small picnic. Then we rode back up to Roosevelt Island and then rode all the way up to Georgetown. By the end, my legs were a bit sore from all the exercise. But it sure felt good.
When I got home, I did a little research on cycling and found the health benefits are outstanding. Did you know that cycling at a regular pace burns approximately 300 calories per hour? It also can reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. And even more amazing, a 15-minute bike ride to and from work five times a week burns off as much as 11 pounds of fat in a year.1 Just knowing this makes me want to go out and buy a bike.
I definitely recommend biking as a great, fun activity that you could try out sometime. It doesn’t require insurance or gasoline and it benefits your health and the environment. You’ll feel good about yourself, be kind to the environment, have fun and be able to burn some calories while having a blast.
Here’s a picture of me on my biking trip. Have you been on any biking adventures? Share your stories on Ignite and tell us all about it.
(1) http://www.leedscyclists.org.uk/health.htm
Justin - A Lumen
