During the recent UK lockdown, people started to clear out garages or garden sheds and many found their old and forgotten bicycles. Lockdown gave lots of people a chance to get out and about on their bikes again, able to explore the local area whilst working from home or even being on the furlough scheme. Now that people are beginning to go back to some sort of normality with working, cycling to work has become more popular. 

However, if you’re new to the cycling to work craze and would like to know more about how cycling Conwy can benefit you then keep reading. 

Improves Fitness

We’ll start with the most obvious benefit: biking makes you healthier. When done consistently (which shouldn’t be a problem, unless you are continuing to work remotely), cycling can help you build muscle, lose body fat and increase overall stamina. In fact, a study done by the University of Copenhagen showed that biking to work is just as effective as hitting the gym five days a week. So you can say goodbye to your gym membership and hello to some lycra cycling shorts instead!

Reduces Anxiety

It’s no big secret that exercise releases happy hormones, including dopamine, serotonin and those wonderful feel-good endorphins. But apart from these, cycling also increases the number of cannabinoids produced by the body. It’s the same kind of chemical found in marijuana and, similar to the plant, cannabinoids affect the part of the brain that causes euphoria. This is why so many cyclists talk about experiencing a kind of ‘high’ after going on a long ride. But you don’t need to go on a cycling marathon to experience this same effect. Just a short ride from your home to your work can also provide the same uplifting effect – so, say ‘goodbye’ to those Monday blues!

Environmentally Friendly 

While this benefit may not directly affect your career, no one can deny that starting your workday on a positive note does wonders. And what’s more positive than knowing you’re doing your share to help the environment? When you switch to bikes from cars during your daily commute, that makes a huge impact on your carbon footprint. In fact, if the distance between your home and workplace is around 10km and you bike that distance for each day of the year, you’ll be able to save around 1500kg worth of greenhouse gas emissions.

Improves Posture

This might not seem like the most life-changing benefit that you can get from cycling, but having better posture can help you in more ways than you think. Apart from preventing muscle tension and unnecessary back pain, it also makes you appear more confident, which is essential in any workplace. It’s a well-known fact that body language (done right) can help advance your career, and great body posture is just one of the ways in which you can make yourself stand out. 

Cost Efficient

With petrol prices increasing every year, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out how cycling to work can save you lots of money. Apart from being a fraction of what regular cars cost, bikes are easier and don’t require a lot of upkeep.

If you live in the UK, biking can also help you save through the government’s cycle to work scheme which encourages citizens to bike more by allowing the employers to pay for their bikes and safety equipment as a tax-free benefit.