Wellbeing Benefits
Fresh air and a good low-impact sweat - what could be sweeter? Obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, lethargy and depression are all alleviated by a regular ride or walk. And these are just a few of the wellbeing benefits of riding your bike.
Environmental Benefit
Already the increased number of people riding bikes and walking has prompted government to create bike lanes and walking and cycle paths along rivers and creeks all over Australia. This can only result in cleaner air and a more stable climate.
Walking and riding bikes produces no waste and improves our health and wellbeing. If we all used a bike or walked whenever possible - to get to work and visit friends and family or go on cycling holidays instead of road trips - it would have an immediate and profound effect on our fossil fuel use and contribution to climate change. Finally, as if all this is not compelling enough, cycling just 10km each way top work, once a week, instead of driving saves about $926 and 304 kg of Green House Gases each year.
Simple actions you can try today!
Cycle or walk for fun and leisure - try Railtrails Australia a directory of riding paths along old train lines through the beautiful Australian countryside. Locally, there are a number or bike and walking trails which provide hours of pleasure, including Federation Trail. Click here for a of bike and walking rails throughout Wyndham.
Bike paths and bike lanes - Wyndham has a network of off-road and on-road along the main traveling routes. These are ideal for the invigorating ride to work along the local river and back streets or for cruising on the weekend to find a nice spot for a picnic. Click here for a map of bike paths in Wyndham.
Join or form a BUG (Bike Users Group) in your area - Contact Wyndham Bike Users Group (BUG) - an informal group that promotes cycling at the local level. It's a great way to meet other riders and find out about the best paths and trails.
Some online resources to keep you rolling…
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National - Bicycle Federation of Australia
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Victoria - Bicycle Victoria
Why is this action important?
Transport accounts for a significant portion of most people's personal CO2 emissions. Getting on your bike or walking will help reduce the amount of Co2 and other greenhouse gasses entering the atmosphere. This is critical if we are to address climate change and the environmental havoc it is causing. Riding a bike or walking instead of driving can improve our health, significantly reduce our CO2 emissions and reduce our contribution to climate change.