FitSugar

Did You Bike to Work This Week?

FitSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Today ends Bike to Work Week, with many cities all over the country celebrating Bike to Work Day today.

A new Swedish health study found that commuters who drive to work run (no pun intended) a significantly greater risk of having a heart attack compared with folks who power themselves to work, either on foot or by cycling. Just a little food for thought if you're entertaining the idea of pedaling to work regularly in the future. So . . .

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Speak Up: Crazy Commuting

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:00:00 -0700

I am a big fan of biking to work. Commuting via bike can seem perilous on busy city streets, but new research show that the more people ride bicycles on city streets, the less likely they are to be injured in traffic accidents. It seems that motorist drive more safely in the presence of cyclists and pedestrians as well. Yay!

This increase in road safety did not help Jim Litz, of Missoula, MT. Biking to work, he "T-boned" a black bear as he crested a hill going 25 mph. Luckily, Litz escaped with minor injuries - a cracked helmet, a bear scratch, and a few bruises. Talk about a crazy commute.

It seems that as the length of the average workday increases, the commute pulls double duty and has transformed into a workout for some of us. Even the folks at Runner's World are promoting the notion of running to work. I would like to hear your stories about your commute and how you pack in exercise as you go to and from your job: bike, run, skate, or walk. Do you stand on the subway to work your core? Any other bear accidents out there? Tell me in the comments section below.

Bike to Work Day

FitSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 03:00:00 -0700

The merry month of May offers so many wonderful things. Aside from bringing you flowers, May is National Bike Month. I love my bike and I love a chance to be public about this love.

To celebrate National Bike Month many cities and metro regions sponsor Bike to Work Day, in an effort to make pedaling to work a more visible and viable option. As gas prices climb and waistlines increase, biking to work can solve many problems simultaneously. Biking to work can turn your commute into exercise, and quite pleasant exercise at that.

The dates of Bike to Work Days vary from city to city, but are generally toward the end of the week – Thursday (5/15) or Friday (5/16). To find out more about pro bike events in your area check out this comprehensive map of events.

Are you planning on biking to work? Tell me in the comments section below because I am truly curious. Don't forget your helmet!

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Did you BIKE TO WORK this week?

FitSugar — Fri, 18 May 2007 07:30:00 -0700

It is Bike to Work Week and many cities sponsored Bike to Work Day today (or yesterday). So I wanted to check in and see if any of you biked to work this week.

Bike to Work Week

FitSugar — Mon, 14 May 2007 11:45:00 -0700

Today is the first day of Bike to Work Week, culminating in Bike to Work Day on this Friday, May 18th. So if you didn't bike today, no worries you still have 4 more days. Well, you really have the rest of your commuting life to bike to work if you subscribe to the "Today is the first day of the rest of your biking life." Plus, the entire month of May is National Bike Month - you have the whole month.

The League of American Bicyclists has a listing on their website of Bike Week events happening around the country. Thirty-five states have listings of events and I look forward to the day that all 50 states promote biking as a means of transportation. Hopefully there will be some infra-structure improvements to make it easier to get around on a bike.

Now, I know for some of you it is impossible to bike to work...so why not bike to a friend's house this week. Or if you are going out for dinner, bike to the restaurant. If you are biking at night don't forget to use your bike lights (that is plural because you want to have one in the back as well as one in the front), and your helmet of course!!!

Bike somewhere, so you can answer a resounding YES to the above question.

Get Paid to Bike to Work - Maybe

FitSugar — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:00:00 -0700

In January of this year, bicycles were added to the list of qualified modes of transportation to receive tax free benefits, previously just forms of mass transit qualified for the tax break. If biking to work is your standard commute, you could receive up to $20 month, tax free, too, from your employer. You can use that annual $240 to buy a bike, get some replacement tubes (urban biking leads to many flats!), or to invest in a new helmet. To qualify for the reimbursement you must regularly use your bike for a substantial portion of travel between home and work. However, "substantial portion" is defined rather vaguely defined.

Unfortunately, this program is voluntary so your employer isn't required to ante up even if you peddle yourself to your place of employ. I had hoped that commuting via bike would become a line-item tax credit on the federal income tax form - a cyclist can dream. Have any of you cyclists been able to take advantage of this new tax code? Tell me in the comments section below.

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Tomorrow Is Bike to Work Day!

FitSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:00:00 -0700

If you're interested in experimenting with a two wheel commute, let me remind you that in the Bay Area, and elsewhere around the country, Thursday, May 14 is Bike to Work Day.

If you can't ride the whole way you can try to bike part of your commute - because something is better than nothing for both you and the environment. In many other cities, Bike to Work Day is Friday - check the League of American Cyclists for listing of events by state. Regardless, be sure to check in with your local bike coalition since chances are high they will have watering stations set up for cyclists and many offer goody bags for pedaling commuters. Will you be biking to work soon?

Fittingly Green: Bike at Least Part of Your Commute

FitSugar — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:00:00 -0700

Biking to work is good for your health and good for the planet since your bike won't emit harmful pollution. If your commute is too far to go all the way on your wheels, then just bike some of the way. Pack your bike in your car, drive part of the way, then park your car, get on your bike, and finish the commute on your seat. If you ride the bus to work, bring along your bike and get off a few stops early so you can bike the rest of the way. You'll burn calories, strengthen your heart and quads, save money on gas, and you'll be cutting down on air pollution. Just be sure to wear your helmet for safety.

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When Winter Rolls In, Don't Give Up on Working Out

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:30:52 -0800

It isn't hard to explain why our workouts get a little lackadaisical when Winter rolls in - 'cause, baby, it's cold outside - and it's pretty understandable that a lot of us lose our motivation to get outdoors for a run or a bike ride. So, how actually do people who work out through the Winter do it? An article from The New York Times reveals exactly that - and how some people manage to get up "the high activation energy" required to stay committed to fitness during the bitter Winter months.

Turns out, if you're new to fitness, you're more likely to give into a little workout hiatus when it gets colder and darker out. According to Janet Buckworth, an exercise physiologist at Ohio State University, it's the opposite for exercise veterans. “If you are beyond the point that you are learning how to exercise, you can’t imagine not running in bad weather,” she says. In fact, some exercise enthusiasts relish the challenge of an outdoor workout in Winter, even going on "epic" bike rides during snow storms and blizzards.

Regardless, you don't have to be an extremist to keep up a Winter workout routine. The key? Just get into something you could really stick with long-term. Choose a form of exercise that you're excited to do, and can keep up when Winter arrives. Group classes are great, and Buckworth recommends finding something you can do indoors, getting a friend to go with you, and even something as simple as updating your playlist with music you love to keep exercise fun and help you stay committed to your fitness regime.

How to Work Off Thanksgiving Calories

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:08 -0800

If you're worried about devouring a huge Thanksgiving meal and what that will mean to your waistline, have no fear. You can have your cake - I mean pie - and eat it too, you just have to get moving afterward. After the break, check out the calorie amounts for your favorite Thanksgiving foods and find out some ways you can work off those tasty calories.

To see the chart, read more.

Food	Amount of calories	Activity
6 oz. mulled wine	156	Swimming laps moderately for 20 minutes will burn 158 calories.
3.5 oz. white turkey meat	156	20 minutes of football burns 158 calories.
3.5 oz. dark turkey meat	186	Sneak away for a 20-minute jog and burn 197 calories.
1/2 cup mashed potatoes	150	Burn 158 calories by walking briskly for 40 minutes.
1/2 cup gravy	150	44 minutes of cleaning burns 152 calories.
1 small baked sweet potato	54	Stretching for 15 minutes burns 59 calories.
1/2 cup stuffing	180	A 23-minute bike ride at a moderate pace will burn 181 calories.
1 slice apple pie with 1/2 cup ice cream	555	Hiking for an hour and 35 minutes will burn off 561 dessert calories.
1 slice pumpkin pie	180	Take the family bowling for an hour and burn 180 calories.