We all know the benefits of a good bike ride for our body, but sometimes we forget that our brain needs the workout just as much. We’ve seen a few posts making their way around the internet this week about the benefits of exercise for your brain…
Scientists in Ireland recently found that “immediately after the strenuous activity, the cyclists had significantly higher levels of a protein known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, which is known to promote the health of nerve cells… [and is] key to maintaining not just memory but skilled task performance.”
According to Harvard University professor of medicine, John J. Ratey. The average activity level of people in the industrialized part of the world is 38% of what our body and mind, was developed for. Even if you do the weekly 3-4 hours most governmental health organisations tend to advocate, you do not exceed 50% of what you were born to…
As it turns out, our brain is dependent on a high activity level to function normally. The brain constantly rewires and reroutes connections… The ability to rewire it self is enhanced by an active lifestyle, an essential ability as we grow older and parts of our brain deteriorates, due to presenile dementia, Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease. A high activity level will reduce symptoms, in some cases almost completely, of these age conditioned diseases.
All we know is that we feel awesome after a good, long bike ride… and that’s enough to inspire us to head out for a lunch ride today. How about you?
Every Wednesday on Ditch Your Car we’ll be bringing you just another reason to spend more time on two wheels. Be it a photo, a statistic or an inspirational video, we want to keep reminding you about why riding is great!
With winter weather hitting most of the US in full force, it’s sometime a little more difficult to strap on that helmet and pedal your way around town when you’re facing freezing rain, snow or just chilly temps. But for those of you who brave the cold each and every day to ditch your car and ride your bike, we salute you!
And here’s a few tips we like to employ when the going gets tough:
Be prepared. Sure rain pants may not be the hottest threads to wear around town, but they sure will keep you warm and dry. Depending on what weather you may face, make sure you’re prepared with warm, winter gear: merino long underwear, burly rain gear, waterproof/windproof gloves and a cozy hat and scarf are a few of our faves.
Stay hydrated. No matter how prepared you are in gear, you’re still likely to get chilled on those really nasty days, so we like to pack a thermos of hot tea, coffee or hot toddy (we don’t judge) to warm us up when we get to our destination.
Get your snack on. When you’re pedaling in freezing temperatures your burning some major calories, so make sure to keep your body cranking throughout the day. Our favorite on the go snack: nuts, dried fruit and dark chocolate.
Indulge with fellow bike commuters. There’s nothing quite like meeting up with other soggy, rosy-cheeked folks after a long, cold commute. So plan to catch up with your friends over some warm soup, a sweet treat or a warming happy hour drink!
Give yourself a pat on the back. Bike commuting in the winter is not for the faint of heart, but you’re out there breathing in that crisp winter air, breaking a sweat each morning and pedaling your way through another season. And you know what all the commuters think of you when they see you zipping through traffic? Well, one: they thing you’re crazy. But two: they’re thinking, wow, that person is a rockstar! Seriously.
Happy winter + bike commuting!
Every Wednesday on Ditch Your Car we’ll be bringing you just another reason to spend more time on two wheels. Be it a photo, a statistic or an inspirational video, we want to keep reminding you about why riding is great!
Thanks to Adventure Journal for today’s ‘Ditch Your Car’ inspiration! Knowing that style and bikes can blend beautifully together, we’re ready to make like Erin and ditch our cars as well!
Meet Erin. She is responsible for High Heels and Two Wheels, a Tumblr, and she describes herself thusly…”I sold my car on July 23, 2010. I rely mostly on my bike to get around Charleston, SC. I can be best described by a co-worker introducing me to a new employee: ‘This is Erin, she wears the highest heels and the shortest skirts and still rides her bike to work everyday.’ Follow my musings on my life without a car. Perhaps you’ll start biking too!
When this photo popped into our email inbox with our daily dose of GOOD in all it’s carfree, windswept glory, we knew we were going to like the accompanying story. And it turns out, it’s just as awesome as the photo. A new study shows that biking is not only good for your gams, but good for your city’s economy. Read more via GOOD:
Last week, the journal Environmental Health Perspectives published findings from a study by scientists at the University of Wisconsin on the economic and health benefits of switching from a car to a bike for trips shorter than five miles long in 11 metropolitan areas around the upper Midwest. Combining data on air pollution, medical costs, mortality rates, car accidents, and physical fitness, the researchers found that if inhabitants of the sample region switched to bikes for half of their short trips, they’d create a net societal health benefit of $3.5 billion per year from the increase in air quality and $3.8 billion in savings from smaller health care costs associated with better fitness and fewer mortalities from a decreased rate of car accidents.
Every Wednesday on Ditch Your Car we’ll be bringing you just another reason to spend more time on two wheels. Be it a photo, a statistic or an inspirational video, we want to keep reminding you about why riding is great!
Awesome infographic put together by our friends over at Nau, using data from Bikes Belong, an advocacy group whose work helps to promote cycling nation-wide. via Nau…
In getting to know the Boulder-based organization, we also got exposed to their thought-provoking data. But while the numbers are great, a picture is better.
Enough to make you want to ditch your car and ride your bike? Yeah, we thought so.
Every Wednesday on Ditch Your Car we’ll be bringing you just another reason to spend more time on two wheels. Be it a photo, a statistic or an inspirational video, we want to keep reminding you about why riding is great!
We loved this photo that the Adventure Journal posted last week. The message on the wall of the Erste Liebe (“first love”) bar in Hamburg, Germany is a perfect start to this lovely day. Now, get on your bike and feel good today!
Every Wednesday on Ditch Your Car we’ll be bringing you just another reason to spend more time on two wheels. Be it a photo, a statistic or an inspirational video, we want to keep reminding you about why riding is great!
We love riding our bikes, and sometimes we like to get a little adventurous… like riding with no hands. So when we stumbled across this awesome video over at Copenhagenize, we had to post it. How to ride your bike with no hands and look awesome while doing it. Watch. And please be careful if you try this at home…
Every Wednesday on Ditch Your Car we’ll be bringing you just another reason to spend more time on two wheels. Be it a photo, a statistic or an inspirational video, we want to keep reminding you about why riding is great!
Earlier this week, General Motors launched a new ad campaign on urban college campuses to encourage students to “Stop Pedaling… Start Driving.” But after running this ad in student newspapers across the US, GM is getting an earful, and it didn’t take long for remakes to start popping up.
A couple of weeks ago, we posted a link to Schwinn’s remake of their classic Sting Ray banana seat bicycle. So many people commented on Facebook with memories of their first banana seat, that it got us thinking about all of our favorite memories on a bike… our first adrenaline rush after the training wheels came off, our first single track and the first time we made the decision to ditch our car and strike out on two wheels. It’s still those memories that bubble up while we’re riding to work or cruising down some trail — breathing the cold, crisp fall air and getting our feet and hearts pumping.
Sometimes music is the best inspiration, so this Wednesday we thought we’d supply you with a few awesome music videos featuring bicycles. After watching these, you’ll definitely be ready to hop on two wheels and hum these songs for the rest of the day.
Lily Allen: LDN
Corinne Bailey Rae: Put Your Records On
Robin Thicke: When I get you alone
Every Wednesday on Ditch Your Car we’ll be bringing you just another reason to spend more time on two wheels. Be it a photo, a statistic or an inspirational video, we want to keep reminding you about why riding is great!
