Mental Health Awareness Week 2020

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week. Here at Bike for Good we know how great riding our bikes is for our mental health and wellbeing.

Cycling releases endorphins, is social (though for now, at a distance), increases your heart rate, and has a low impact on joints. Importantly, the more people cycling means fewer cars on the road, improving air quality for everyone.

Our Health and Wellbeing team work within communities, health centres, and rehabilitation hubs to support people to cycle. By providing lessons, led rides, equipment, mechanical classes, route navigation, discounted nextbike memberships, and sharing our cycling expertise, we aim to give everyone the opportunity to cycle. 

Last year our Health and Wellbeing team worked with 214 individuals to begin and develop their cycling.  79% of our participants said they felt healthier and fitter and 65% felt more confident and had significantly reduced anxiety after completing a 10 week block of cycling with Bike for Good. 

This year things are a bit different! 

During the COVID crisis our Health and Wellbeing team have continued to share the mental health benefits of cycling.  By offering nextbike memberships to those most in need, making sure families have access to bikes, running virtual meetups, and creating ‘how to’ videos, we are helping to keep cycling for mental health benefits a viable option for those most in need. 

‘We’ve lost our income. We’re trying to get jobs at the supermarket, thanks so much for your help. We will make good use of the nextbikes, it keeps us off public transport and safe.’ 

Participant

 

Cycling is freedom to explore. Now that summer is on the way and the roads are a bit quieter, it might just be the perfect time to try out cycling and see how big your smile is by the end of your ride!

#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek