Guest Post By: Pablo Monsivais, Ph.D., MPH
Associate Professor – Nutrition and Exercise Physiology
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been writing about the health and environmental benefits of swapping your car commute for a bike commute, and our Campus Bike Challenge and our Bike Buddy Program and tips for happy, safe riding. Commuting to work by bike, or just doing some of your normal car-based errands with your bike- is a great ‘health hack’. Why? Because it’s a powerful way to dial-in some physical activity into your daily routine in a way that doesn’t require much extra time but still adds to your well-being and quality of life.
Using your bike to get to work and take care of nearby errands can also lead to new connections with neighbors and the community. Today, May 1st, is the start of Bike Everywhere Month in Washington state. Here in Spokane, the Spokane Bicycle Club and other businesses and community organizations have put together a jam-packed calendar. There are dozens of events and activities to inform and inspire people of all ages about opportunities and resources to promote bicycles for fun and for transportation. All events are free and open to everyone.
There will be group rides along some well-known scenic routes and rides where you can explore some of the new and proposed bicycle infrastructure in our region. Speaking of infrastructure, May 7th is the official grand opening and ribbon-cutting of our campus’ beautiful University Gateway Bridge. There’s also Kidical Mass, a ride specifically for families with young children. Some other highlights each May are the pancake breakfast and a great (and free!) pizza party at David’s Pizza. All these events and tons more are on the Bike Everywhere Calendar page.
Want to join our Campus Bike Challenge? Make sure to ask Norene Phillipson to help you register with CommuteSmartNW and get in touch with your unit leader (see CBC link for details). Also, if you want a Bike Buddy or if you are an experienced rider and want to be a buddy during the month of May or just have questions, please drop me a line!