1. You’ll save money by bike commuting
You’re paying a premium for the privilege of sitting in traffic during your commute. Let’s say your mid-sized car uses 8L of gas for 100 km. If you drive 10 km to work one way, that’s about 416L a year, just to commute. At $1.17 per litre, it will cost you about $486 a year. And that doesn’t count wear and tear, depreciation, parking or insurance. Compare that to the cost of an annual bike tune-up, which can be less than $100.
2. You’ll boost your heart health and muscle strength
Starting and ending your day with an active commute can enhance your overall fitness. Health Canada recommends adults get 2.5 hours of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week. And cycling to work counts, McCormack says. Researchers in Japan and the United States found cycling improves heart fitness, and helps increase muscle mass and strength. That was especially true for older people.
3. You’ll lower your risk of diabetes and cancer
The physical activity of a bike commute can help keep you healthier for longer. “Cycling is just like any type of physical activity,” McCormack says. “Regular physical activity provides health benefits such as improvements in heart health and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. It also lowers the risk of certain cancers, including breast and colon cancer, and fosters a healthier body weight.” New research also suggests that the more you cycle, the greater the heart benefits and the lower your type 2 diabetes and colon cancer risk.
And if you swap your sedentary commute for an active cycling one, you’ll compound these health benefits. “[You’re] less sedentary, which improves health aside from physical activity,” McCormack says. “And [you’re] also gaining benefits from the physical activity itself.
4. You’ll improve your mental health
A breezy, active commute can enhance your mood. Montreal communications manager, Rebecca Galloway noticed this right after she began cycling three kilometres to and from work each day. “I always feel better when I bike,” she says. “The fresh air clears my head. A few years ago while living in Toronto, I remember one sweltering hot day in July. I was whizzing by the streetcar on my bike, and everyone on board looked so miserable and sweaty. I felt really happy to be on my bike that day!”
The mental-health benefits of regular physical activity go beyond boosting your mood. “Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily is enough to lower the risk of depression,” McCormack says. “And some studies suggest physical activity can help in managing or treating depression.”
5. You’ll help protect the environment, too
All that driving isn’t just bad for you, it’s also a major source of carbon emissions. In Canada in 2017, passenger cars and light trucks gave off 85.1 megatonnes of greenhouse gases. That was nearly 12% of all the emissions in Canada that year. The average 50-minute roundtrip Canadian commute adds to that figure. Switching to a green commute, like cycling, shrinks your carbon footprint and keeps the environment cleaner for everyone.