Tag Archives: bike

Exercise younger – on your bike!

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Bike Week (13-21 June), the UK’s biggest mass participation cycling event, is this year challenging families to get more out of life by swapping their four wheels for two and exploring new places in their local community. Towns, villages and cities across the UK will host free cycling events with the theme of ‘Get more out of life: live local, get cycling’.

Thousands of events will inspire people to hop on their bikes and discover the benefits and pleasures of cycling locally. Over half of all car journeys are less than five miles long, so by switching them to an easy thirty minute bike ride, you’ll save money, find new places you didn’t know existed, shrink your carbon footprint and get fit too!

There’s something for everyone during Bike Week, with events ranging from cycle training and Dr Bike sessions for novices, to commuter challenges and group rides around local cycling routes – all for free! Many are open to the entire family meaning it’s a great way to spend time together and meet other locals whilst rediscovering the fun of riding a bike in a safe and friendly environment.

Phillip Darnton, Chairman of Cycling England, said: “Many families are looking for easy ways to get more out of life, particularly during these difficult financial times. Cycling brings families together and is a fantastic, free way to explore new places and rides and have a lot of fun. We hope that people will use Bike Week as the perfect opportunity to get back on their bikes and re-connect with their communities.”

Bike Week has teamed up with Change4Life, the movement that provides families with helpful hints and tips about how to be more active and less sedentary and promotes cycling as a great way for children to achieve 60 minutes of their recommended daily activity.

To find out what is taking place in your local area, visit and enter your postcode. If you’d like to take part but don’t have a bike, this shouldn’t stop you – you can find your nearest bike rental outlet on the website. All participants get the chance to win a Center Parcs family holiday or one of twenty-four bike carriers in the lead up to Bike Week – another reason to get on your bike!

For further information, or if you’d like to organise your own event, log on to www.bikeweek.org.uk or phone 0845 612 0661(UK number).

Five reasons to get on your bike:

1. Over half of our car journeys are less than 5 miles – swapping them for an easy 30 minute bike ride can save you a small fortune in fuel costs

2. Cyclists live on average at least two years longer than non-cyclists and their fitness levels are equivalent to being ten years younger – so forget nip and tuck, think pedal and push!

3. Cycling is the ultimate family activity; it’s free, healthy, fun and encourages children to be independent

4. Cycling gets you out and about and you’re more likely to find that cute little delicatessen or beautiful park you never knew existed than when you’re cooped up in a car

5. In a hurry? During rush-hour, a bicycle is twice as fast as a car – good if you hate traffic jams! Even better, you won’t spend a penny on parking

More information
1. This year’s Bike Week will run from 13-21 June 2009.

2. Bike Week is one of the UK’s biggest annual promotions of cycling and provides a national umbrella for locally organised events and activities up and down the UK

3. Bike Week began as a grass-roots organisation in 1923 and receives funding from the Department for Transport via Cycling England, Transport for London, Northern Ireland Executive, The Welsh Assembly Government and Cycling Scotland with support from the Scottish Government. Bike Week also receives funding from the cycle industry via Bike Hub.

4. The partners that run Bike Week are drawn from the whole cycling community including the cycle industry, Cycling England and Cycling Scotland, Sustrans, CTC and Cyclenation. More information can be found at www.bikeweek.org.uk

5. BikeWeek supports the Change4Life movement. In order to maintain a healthy weight we need to eat well and move more. Many families are making changes that will help them live healthier and longer. Visit www.nhs.uk/change4life or call 0300 1234567 for more information

6. To find out more about Change4Life, visit www.change4life.co.uk

Excercise key to staying younger

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New York: Fitness, strength and flexibility do not inevitably fade away with age, and are more often a matter of lifestyle choices, according to a new report.

Often, the discomforts of middle-age, like lower back pain or stiff joints, are blamed on aging alone. However, a well-rounded exercise routine that includes aerobic activity, strength training and stretching can help people offset the effects of ageing, according to a report from the Mayo Clinic.

Studies show that regular exercise can lower the risks of chronic ills like diabetes and heart disease, boost immune function, alleviate fatigue and cut the risk of disability in older adults.

People of any age can start exercising, even if they’ve never been active, the report says. However, sedentary people should always talk with their doctors first, particularly if they have any chronic medical conditions.

To get the most benefits, exercisers should try to fit in five types of activity, according to the Mayo report. One is aerobic exercise — any type of movement, like walking or riding a bike, that raises the heart rate and gets you breathing harder. A good beginning, the report says, is to exercise aerobically for 30 to 60 minutes three times per week, working toward a five-day-per-week goal.

Strengthening exercises, such as lifting hand weights or doing push-ups, are important to maintaining muscle mass and strength. Most people will quickly notice improvements after strength training just two or three times per week, for about 20 minutes per session, according to the report.

It’s also important to fit in stretching to boost flexibility, balance exercises to improve coordination and lower injury risk, and “core stability” training — exercises that focus on the muscles of the trunk.

All of these activities do require proper technique, the report notes, so it is a good idea to begin by taking an exercise class or getting advice from a professional, such as a doctor, exercise trainer or physical therapist.

Cyclists live longer – so get on your bike!

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London: Bike Week, the UK’s biggest mass participation cycling event, is this year challenging families to get out of their cars, step away from the TV and get on their bikes. The call to action is ‘Free the Family’ and rediscover how much fun you can have together on a bike.

From Bristol to Belfast and Edinburgh to Eastbourne, thousands of free cycling events will provide the opportunity for everyone from total novices to passionate cyclists to get on their bikes. This year’s focus on the family means there will be children’s rides, free bike safety checks and advice on getting started.

Andre Curtis, Manager at Bike Week said; “Plenty of parents have forgotten how much fun cycling was as a child. This year’s Bike Week will help to revive those memories and encourage families to spend quality family time together, have fun and get fit at the same time. We hope that taking part in a Bike Week event will act as a catalyst for people to cycle more regularly and enjoy the long term benefits of a healthier lifestyle.”

Why not join the 500,000 people who came along last year? To find out what is taking place in your local area, visit www.bikeweek.org.ukand enter your postcode. If you’d like to take part but don’t have a bike – this shouldn’t stop you – you can simply search for your nearest bike rental outlet on the website. All participants get the chance to win a Center Parcs family holiday – giving another reason to get on your bike!

For further information, or if you’d like to organise your own event, log on to www.bikeweek.org.uk or phone 0845 612 0661 (within UK)

Five reasons to get on your bike:

1. Cyclists live on average at least two years longer than non-cyclists and their fitness levels are equivalent to being ten years younger – so forget nip and tuck, think pedal and push!

2. Cycling is the ultimate family activity; it’s healthy, fun and encourages children to be independent.

3.Twenty minutes of gentle cycling burns up to 100 calories, so if you cycle to work, you’ll be able to have that afternoon treat without feeling an inch of guilt!

4. Studies show that car drivers are exposed to five times as much polluted air than cyclists, making cycling good for the environment, as well as your health

5. In a rush? Cycling is often much quicker than public transport or taking the car – even better, you won’t spend a penny on public transport, road tax, parking, MOT or fuel.

Bike Week will run from 14-22 June 2008
Bike Week is one of the UK’s biggest annual promotions of cycling and provides a national umbrella for locally organised events and activities up and down the country.

Bike Week began as a grass-roots organisation in 1923 and receives funding from the Department for Transport, Cycling England, Transport for London, Northern Ireland Executive, The Welsh Assembly Government and The Scottish Government. Bike Week also receives funding from the cycle industry via Bike Hub.

The partners that run Bike Week are drawn from the whole cycling community including the cycle industry, Cycling England and Cycling Scotland, Sustrans, CTC and Cycle Campaign Network. More information can be found at www.bikeweek.org.uk

Loose weight, get fit – get on your bike

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Fed up with overcrowded public transport or bored of sitting in traffic?Why not ride to work and reap the benefits?

Evans Cycles, the UK’s largest specialist cycle retailer, gives you a few reasons why cycling to work could be more beneficial to you than you think.

The list of why cycling is better is endless. It’s clear that by bike you’re more environmentally friendly, save time and money especially through the busy streets of the countries major cities. With the government announcing a £140 million cycling plan for the next three years, it is going to make travelling by bike so much easier.

Cycling is low intensity and as hard as you want it to be. You can choose a long or short route depending on how confident you feel and what you want to achieve. If you don’t like revealing all at the swimming pool, or find that running is too intense then cycling can beat all that. Steady pace cycling burns fat and has the added value of taking you from A to B.

“Cycling to work has many more health benefits than you think” says Claire Beaumont, Evans Cycles’ fitness expert. ”We all think of it as an alternative mode of transport but the workout you get from riding helps keep you fit without realising it and is so much better for your wellbeing especially this time of year when everyone is coughing and sneezing on public transport”.

Can help weight loss

When you cycle a simple bit of mathematics happens, you eat food to put energy in the body, you then burn energy from food to power your body to cycle. There is then a negative energy intake and you lose weight, or if you didn’t want to slim down then it means you can have an extra cream cake at the weekend!

Feel better

What is also great about cycling is that although your using energy and tire the body in the long term the feeling of well being will make you feel more energised because exercise takes you out of your daily routine, helps you focus on what your body is doing and take you away from things happening from day to day.

Defence against Coughs and Colds

A regular bit of cycling is a way to boost your immune system, after moderate exercise of about an hour your body will recognise this and release more bacteria fighting cells into the blood stream over time the levels of cells from the immune system will rise to a new baseline which means the body becomes more effective at fighting infection compared to someone who is sedentary.

How Much?

Government guidelines recommend that adults should to at least 30 minutes of activity everyday and cycling is an easy way to get this recommendation into your daily routine. Ideally 1 hour of cycling is great for your body it doesn’t have to be strenuous and not done all in one block, how about a cycle to the shops.

No gym fees

A decent bike, that won’t fall apart after a month of riding, will set you back about £300. Mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrid or folding bikes are now more affordable than ever. £30 gets you a comfortable, lightweight helmet that passes all relevant safety standards. Waterproof jackets with reflective strips that combine comfort, practicality and safety start from around £50. With winter gloves from around £20 you can have all the gear you need to get started for around £400, that’s usually less than a year’s gym membership!

Web: www.evanscycles.com