Beat the January blues by walking or cycling to work/college/university at twice a week this month...
Active travel simply means journeys made using physical activity such as walking or cycling. Swapping to a form of active travel once or twice a week can have lots of benefits for ourself and the environment.
It may not always be possible to complete your full journey by cycling or walking. You can split your journey by walking/cycling to the train or bus station. For example, if I am working at Edinburgh College's Sighthill campus, I cycle to Stirling train station, get the train to Edinburgh Park and cycle to the campus from the station.
1.Physical health; Getting your body moving in the morning after lying down for hours, or after work when you have been sitting at a desk all day can do wonders for your body.
Walking or cycling for 15 minutes a day can aid weight loss, build fitness and adds to overall well-being.
2.Mental health; I feel very passionate about the benefits of walking and cycling on our mental health. My next blog post will talk more about the benefits of active travel on our mental health. Beginning your day with a 15-minute cycle or walk can dramatically change our mood; creating a positive vibe for the day.
3.Better relationships; (an outcome of the first two benefits) if you feel better mentally and physically you can show up and be the best person for other people; in your job, as a student, as a mother, girlfriend or friend- if we feel good in ourselves we can get the most out of our relationships.
4. Help save the environment; deciding to ditch the car to cycle or use public transport is a great way to play a role in reducing climate change.Every small change we make as individuals adds up and supports the collective action we need to save the planet.
5. Save money; The average UK employee spends £146 a month on commuting!
"UK commuters will spend over £135,000 by the time they retire"
I cycled to classes or lectures almost every day when I was at university. One day, after Vilius called me crazy for the 10000 time for cycling in the cold, I decided to calculate how much I save cycling instead of getting the bus. A return journey costs from town to the university costs £2.30 and a monthly pass costs £28. This means on average people are spending around £140 each semester. Turns out I saved around £1120 over 4 years; who is the crazy one now huh?
Extra bonus- I got to uni feeling wide awake and ready to learn. On the days I did get the bus I noticed a hugeeee difference in how I felt (usually still feelingn half a sleep) and my motivation to learn.
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