Pedal Your Stress Away

Have you gotten your bike out yet?

Today's post has tons of info on the stress-release and planet saver that is The Bike. So get inspired to grab your set of wheels and start pedaling!

FACTS:

• Bikes are more cost-effective than cars- no fuel, cheaper to make, buy and maintain AND they save taxpayers money by less road ware

• Studies show that bicycle commuters are healthier, more productive, and require less time off at work

• Since bicycling produces zero fuel emissions, you're decreasing your carbon footprint and reducing the pollution every day that you ride

• Cycling actually forces you to regulate your breathing, as well as to breathe deeper to expel any lingering CO2 – both key methods used to alleviate stress

• By pedaling your wheels, you can burn 52 calories in just five minutes of cycling at 14-16 mph. If your route takes you uphill or faster to move with traffic, that's even more

• The repetitive action of pedaling involved in cycling can help your brain release outside stresses in the same way that mediating on a phrase or a word is used in classical mediation 

• Cycling isn't as hard on the knees like other types of exercise

• Moving up in the pack, making it over a particularly tough climb or completing your first century are all great stress reducers because they allow you to feel that you have accomplished something

Want Your Own Set of Wheels?

• There are tons of new and used bike shops, online and off. Try Craigslist  for bikes costing $1 all the way up to $1000+ - make sure you give it a spin before buying it
• MasterBikeFitters.com has an extensive article on how much you should spend on a new or used bike

• If you want a simpler version, Ehow breaks it down for you without so much detail

• Don't forget Nice Ride! Even if you own a bike, you won't always have it with you. These make it easy to hop on and pedal off wherever you are. If you have it for under half an hour, it's free!

Be Safe!

• Wear a helmet and, if you're riding at night, reflective gear
• Check out The National Center For Safe Routes To School for resources on getting kids to school via bike
• If you're sharing the road with vehicles, brush up on the rules here
• The MPCA has daily forecasts on how clean the air is around you. You can sign up for alerts here. If you do find the air to be particularly polluted, hop on a bus for half of your journey- bikes can be placed on the front rack
• On April 20th the Mother Earth Fest takes place at the Wellstone Community Center in the Twin Cities - they've got a Bike Repair 101 and Basic Safety classes taught by experienced bike mechanics. Find out more at motherearthfest.org/bike-village 
• Stay hydrated!

Don't Know Where To Bike?

• Bikemap.net lets people share their biking routes and lets you create your own
• Cyclopath.com is personable, letting you type in your address and end point
• The Metro Transit gives you integrated travel options for when you want to use your bike and the bus
• Or, just explore your community! You never know what's around the corner

Need Some Motivation?

• We've mentioned 30 Days of Biking on our Facebook page- grab a bike and use it every day for 30 days starting this April. Even if you haven't signed up, they hold events in the Twin Cities every Saturday until the end of the month. Check out their website for more info 30daysofbiking.com or try hosting your own event and encourage friends and family to cycle every day for 30 days
• BikeBrain is an app to help you figure out how many calories you burned, your distance and speed and even lets you share photos
• Minnesota Iron Man Bike Ride is Sunday, April 28th. There's still time to sign up as an individual or team
• The 2013 National Bike Challenge runs from May 1st until September 30th - anytime you hop on your bike, you log it into the website via an app or your computer. Many work organizations do this to motivate their employees to get healthy and save money

Last but not least, save $5 when you visit The Backrub by way of bus, walking or biking- during all of April - just mention this post!

Still Want More?

Sign up to Bike Walk Twin Cities E-news for weekly updates and biking events near you.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for monthly tidbits on National Stress Awareness Month & Earth Month - and let us know what you think inquiries@greatbackrubs.com