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There are lots of ways that we can be a little greener as we travel, and one of the best option to start is by cycling a lot more. What most important to remember is the 3H principal that’s applied: Happy Belly, Happy Earth, and Happy Wallet.
Can Cycling reduce Belly Fat?
The short answer is: YES. Cycling is a fun activity to do that helps burn the notorious belly fat while simultaneously strengthening your muscles, heart and lungs. We know that belly fat has been associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and more.
So how do we get rid of them? You may first think of sit-ups, but actually cycling is the best option for an easy and fun way to combat belly fat.
Although tummy muscles do not stretch much during cycling, it is a kind of aerobic exercise that burns fat, including belly fat. The key point here is CONSISTENCY and DETERMINATION. Use the 80/20 Rule cycling method, combined with healthy diet and you’ll see your result in no time.
Cycling is one of the great tools we can use either for leisure or for daily commutes. It is a great idea to invest in your own bike for commuting or errands, but you can also make use of rentable e-bikes in many major cities.
Cycling every day instead of driving is perfect for anyone with the confidence and ability to ride. You can get active, enjoy some scenic routes while on the way to work or to the store, and know that you are also shedding off that layer of belly fat. On top of that, you also doing your bit for the environment. So, what makes cycling the best form of green travel aside from walking?
Why Is Cycling The Greener Way To Travel?
Our carbon footprint isn’t going to get any smaller if we recycle our food packaging but still make unnecessary car journeys to buy the meal. Where possible, cycling is a much better form of green travel other than walking. And for those distance inefficient by cycling, there is alternative tools to choose from.
Traffic and congestion on our cities’ streets are no good for anyone, especially not for the environment. Every car emits hazardous emissions as it burns fuel, polluting the air and making it harder for us all to breathe. The more we rely on cars, the more roads we see built to ease the flow, which paves over green space.
Although the use of public transport may reduce the number of cars on the road, which reduce its total emissions, cycling on the other hand means there are no extra emissions AT ALL.
Moreover, bikes don’t rely on that many unsustainable materials like gas, coal, and/or oil. Bikes are self-powered unless you get one of those rechargeable e-bikes, and even those are more sustainable than fossil fueled cars.
The Additional Benefits Of Switching To Cycling.
Cycling isn’t just a better choice environmentally. We can also benefit greatly from the impact of cycling on our health and our wallets.
Bikes aren’t always cheap, but there aren’t the same costs to keep them on the road as there are with cars. Once you add in costs of insurance and all that dirty fuel, cars are even more problematic. There might be some reasonable excuse to have cars within a household, like for elders or less mobile people. But what can be improved is from those who own more than one car merely for individual luxurious enjoyment instead of necessity.
As for our health and well-being, there are strong advantages in cycling for physical and mental health.
Physically, cycling gives us a good workout and we can tailor those sessions by increasing the distance and intensity of the ride. Mountain biking then provides more opportunities for adventure.
Mentally, we can feel much closer to the world around us when cycling and use the time in nature and the fresh air to clear our minds. A ride on a country trail is much less stressful than being stuck in traffic.
Making The Most Out Of Your Pre-Loved Bikes.
Another consideration here when looking at why bikes are so green is that we can refurbish and pass on pre-loved bikes with ease. This is better than always buying new models when we can pass bikes down between siblings or do up a vintage model.
A concern that some drivers may have is that bikes are expensive and you may need a lot of them for one family.
A high-end road bike can cost thousands. Kids’ bikes become too small or restrictive very quickly. Surely it can’t be environmental to throw out a two-year-old pre-teen bike to get them a better model? This is true, and it is why greener-minded cyclists can now turn to a scheme like Woom UPcycle that reuses their old bikes. This not only encourages everyone to ride but means that perfectly good bikes aren’t wasted. Fewer parts end up in scrapyards and fewer resources are used building unessential new bikes.
Woom bikes offers an UPcycling subscription, where you can upcycle your old bike to a newer model with less cost. Although there is still room for improvement with its buy-back policy, it is indeed a great concept environmentally. The idea of passing on the pre-loved bikes to those who need them.
This concept can be further expanded to other household items or furniture where you can recycle, upcycle, or re-sale them in online market places like craigslist, gumtree or facebook market place.
Give Cycling a chance
Ideally, all those with the ability to cycle should give cycling a chance. Not only it stimulates your body metabolism and make you feel better, helps reduce your body weight and belly fat, release your stress and increase your health; more importantly, it is much cost effective compared to having a car. Last but not least, it is good for environment. And with the upcycling program, you can consider giving a bike a second life and enjoying greener travel to the next level.
What else are you waiting for?