Acknowledging the uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the bicycle, which has been in use for two centuries, and that it is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transportation, fostering environmental stewardship and health, the United Nations General Assembly decided to declare 3 June World Bicycle Day.
Healthy reasons for Cycling:
- Cycling three hours or 30 kilometres per week halves your risk of heart disease and strokes
- Women who walk or bike 30 minutes a day have a lower risk of breast cancer.
- Countries with the highest levels of cycling and walking generally have the lowest obesity rates.
- A study of nearly 2,400 adults found that those who biked to work were fitter, leaner, less likely to be obese, and had better triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and insulin levels than those who didn’t active commute to work.
- An adult cyclist typically has a level of fitness equivalent to someone 10 years younger and a life expectancy two years above the average.
- Bicycle commuting burns an average of 540 calories per hour.
- Figures show the average person will lose 13 lbs (5.8 kilograms) in their first year of cycling to work.
- When World Watch Institute compared energy used per passenger-mile (calories), they found that a bicycle needed only 35 calories, whereas a car expended a whopping 1,860. Bus and trains fell about midway between, and walking still took 3 times as many calories as riding a bike the same distance.
- Bicycles use 2% as much energy as cars per passenger-kilometre, and cost less than 3% as much to purchase.
- Compared to cars, a daily 16-kilometre commute saves the 5 kilos of carbon dioxide emissions and they burn around 360 extra calories.
- On a bicycle you can travel up to 1037 kilometres on the energy equivalent of a single litre of gas.
Discover more from Vigyan Setu Foundation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
