Apr 7, 2022
Today we’re thinking about how cycling can help us live up to this year’s World Health Day theme: our planet, our health.
Our cities are becoming more congested and polluted. London drivers spent an average of 6 days stuck in traffic in 2021, and air pollution continues to be the single biggest environmental health risk.
In London, road vehicles are the top polluter, but two thirds of all trips made by car could be cycled in under 20 minutes. Just think how much cleaner the air would be if those car journeys were made by bike!
Cycling is not only good for the planet, it’s great for your health too. At FLIT our mission is to revolutionise how we get around, helping to make our cities happier, healthier places to be. We do this by developing lightweight folding ebikes that are designed from scratch to be electric, and engineered for flexibility.
How is cycling good for the planet?
Reduce carbon emissions
Bikes rely on pedal power, rather than burning fossil fuels – so are a much greener alternative to petrol or diesel cars.
A recent study by the European Cyclists’ Federation compared carbon emissions for different ways of getting around. The result: bikes produce about 90% less carbon than cars per kilometer – which is pretty massive!
Ebikes (like our folding ebike, the FLIT-16), use an electric motor to boost your pedal power – helping you to travel longer distances without breaking a sweat. The study found that ebikes produce a very similar amount of carbon to traditional bikes – so there’s no shame in going electric!
Avoid congestion
We’ve already mentioned that the average London driver spends 6 days per year stuck in traffic. Even if we swapped all of these cars for electric ones, they would still take up the same amount of space on our streets.
By reducing the trips we make by car and switching to cycling instead, we’ll have more space on our streets and more time in the day to do the stuff that matters.
Minimise exposure to air pollution
A study from the University of Leeds has also shown that cyclists are the least exposed to air pollution during their daily commute. This is because they can beat cars or buses stuck in rush hour traffic, so they spend less time in polluted air.
Rediscover your city
On a bike, you’re able to appreciate things that you might not see by car. You can easily flit around visiting friends, shops, cafés… or wherever you fancy!
We designed our folding ebike, the FLIT-16, with this in mind – folding it to take with you anywhere gives you even more flexibility when travelling around the city.
How can cycling create a healthier you?
Cycling is not only good for the planet, it’s great for your health – both physically and mentally.
Physically fit
“The benefits of cycling go well beyond just being a mode of transportation or a great way to exercise.” – Benefits of Cycling: 13 Life-Changing Reasons to Jump on a Bike.
Cycling is one of the best forms of exercise for our bodies, as it is low impact (less intense on our joints), but is still aerobic (increases our heart and breathing rate). It builds muscle, helps tone, helps improve posture, reduces your metabolic rate and helps improve cardiovascular fitness.
Worried that ebikes are cheating? A recent study showed that ebike riders have similar physical activity levels to those riding conventional bikes. Although ebike riders do less exercise per mile, they ride more often and cover larger distances per trip.
Mental wellbeing
Cycling releases endorphins which make you feel great! It also reduces levels of the cortisol stress hormone and improves sleep, so will help you to feel rested and ready for the day ahead.
It’s great for your brain too! A recent study tested the effect of riding both non-electric and electric bikes. The results were the same: riding 30 minutes at least 3 times per week increased cognitive function and wellbeing (in fact in some cases the benefit for ebike riders was greater).
Cycling for our planet & our health
We hope that this has inspired you to get out and get riding! It’s easy to switch to cycling, even switching just one journey per day will make a difference. It’s not only a greener way to get around, but it will make you feel fab too!
Shoutout to our friends at Oh Lily!
Finally, a big thank you to Oh Lily! for featuring our World Health Day blog on their website, and collaborating on our Instagram competition.
Here’s an intro from them about what they do – be sure to check out their website for more!
Oh Lily! is a wellness snack brand sought by the food consumers looking to take care of themselves in an holistic way (mental health is health!) and is part of “ the regenerative agriculture” one of the key trend in the food industry.
Water lilies naturally grow within wetlands and ponds in Bihar, India where Buddha appeared. The seeds of the water lily are often nicknamed “black gems of wetlands”.
The cultivation of lily seeds doesn’t destroy the ecosystem, the whole cycle is sustainable, seasonal and naturally occurring. The ponds have an auto seeding system unharvested seeds of crop left over the pond bed germinate to for new plants.
Not only Oh Lily! snacks are gentle to the planet but they are also great for your body. Indeed, water lily seeds are a good source protein, amino acids, iron and magnesium. Oh Lily! creates gourmet recipes to nourish your mind, body and soul! Embark on conscious culinary journey with a super seeds used in Ayurveda for centuries.
