True, it cuts down on your gas bill and reduces your carbon footprint, but the most obvious reason for leaving your car in the garage tomorrow for Bike to Work day is right under your nose—or at least several inches below your nose: your heart
. Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart muscle at the same time that it helps keep weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure at healthy levels. It may also reduce arterial inflammation, which increases heart-attack risk, and slow the progression of heart disease.
Need another reason to bike? It can stave off arthritis. A recent study suggests that women with stronger quadriceps (the muscle at the front of the thigh) are less likely to get painful knee arthritis.
Thirty minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week can start with a brisk walk or a jog—but if walking bores you and running is hard on your knees, biking might be just the thing that helps you start or re-start a healthy habit.
A word on safety: Helmets are one of the most effective ways to avoid injury while bike riding, yet many Americans go without one, according to a Consumer Reports National Research Center survey
. Eighty-two percent said they felt it was "very" or "extremely" important to wear a helmet while cycling, but only 44 percent said they would actually wear one. Put safety first. Before you hit the road or bike path, strap on your helmet. It should sit flat across your head, with the front edge about an inch above the eyebrows. A properly adjusted helmet should stay in place when pushed upward from the front.
If you’d rather keep your workout indoors, there’s a bike for you, too. See our report and Ratings(subscribers only) on stationary exercise bikes. And for 60 benefits of biking, visit the International Bike Fund website.