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5 Health and Environmental Benefits of Riding Your Bike

Did you know that in Amsterdam, Europe there are more bicycles than people? There are approximately 811 thousand citizens owning around 880 thousand bikes.

We believe Amsterdam is one of the cities that should serve as an example to others. Many people, in other parts of the world, use their car or motorbike when they commute to work. People are constantly using different oil-consuming vehicles to reach places that are not so far at all.

Our message for the beginning of this article is – ride your bike whenever possible!

Riding a bike is a big responsibility. In places where there is a lot of traffic, a serious chance for accidents always exists. That’s why you need to follow safety rules geared to help prevent injuries and accidents. For example, it is necessary to always wear a helmet and follow the rules of the road.

However, bicycling doesn’t need to be worrisome – there are plenty of benefits that should encourage you to opt for a bike more often. Five of them are crucial and we want to highlight them here.

1. Reduction of Air Pollution

Changing our bad habits will bring us closer to making our lives more environmental-friendly. The first thing we will get from bike riding is the reduction of air pollution.

Many people use cars a couple of times per day. More precisely, we get in our car at least two times – when we go to work and when we need to get back home. If we’re picking up kids from school or make a detour to the grocery store, that number can be significantly larger.

Bike riding, on the other hand, uses minimal fossil fuels. This means riding your bike offers a pollution-free mode of transport. If you replace a car with a bike each time you go to work, you will save approximately 3000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each year.   

Imagine that each person on this planet does the same thing? The planet Earth would be a much healthier place.

2. No Nonrenewable Fuels Burned

Did you know that, in 2019 alone, the United States consumed around 20.5 million barrels of oil per day? The two most common types of oil used are – diesel and gas.

Can you even imagine the amount of oil we spend per day now? Fortunately, bike riders make a great contribution to the reduction of petroleum consumption. Logically, the entire planet Earth would benefit from this.

3. No More Crowd/Parking Problems

The picture of streets swarming with bikes is some sort of utopia. Every car driver knows how it feels when you are stuck in traffic. You start to lose your nerves and more often than not we are near some sort of accident.

Here’s another positive impact of riding a bike – the number of accidents would likely reduce because drivers won’t be as impatient.

In addition, people living in urban places know how tough it can be to hear noise from traffic the early morning. You can’t get a good night’s sleep.

Living in that sort of environment can cause some psychological and health problems. Our mental health is equally as important as our physical health. Logically, it is not always possible to make a move to a more peaceful area. Because of that – let’s make urban places peaceful with bikes!

4. No Need for Destroying More Nature

Indeed, many families across the world have only one car. Yet, the average number of vehicles per US household is 1.88. This means some families have more than one car in their garage.

Imagine how many cars are in places like Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington D.C., Chicago, etc. If the number of cars on the road continues to increase, then we will have to develop new roads. Of course, it is the green areas that will suffer the most in those cases. Why would we replace beautiful parks with streets? If we all start riding a bike, there will be many more green terrains.

5. Improvement of Personal Health

We gave you the environmental benefits of riding your bike. Still, each individual on this planet can get some personal benefits as well.

Bike riding is often associated with the improvement of physical health. This habit boosts mental and emotional health. It improves your balance and posture, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, strength, and overall mood as well. Plus, riding your bike gives you a chance to get outdoors and get some fresh air. The personal health benefits of bike riding are numerous.

Conclusion

In summary, there are countless reasons why riding a bike is a healthy and environmental-friendly activity – it is also a lot more affordable than driving a car.

So, tell us, will you start riding a bike actively?

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