Work and School
Health Professionals Toolkit
Cycling is good for everyone including your staff and patients
You can make a positive change among your colleagues, employees and patients by supporting them to become regular cyclists.
With this toolkit, we’ll show you how to do this – and how others in Exeter have made this happen.
Why more cycling is good
Put simply, cycling is a really healthy thing to do – for staff and patients alike.
It’s low impact: patients who don’t currently exercise much or at all can easily embrace cycling as a means of regular exercise. You can put in as much or as little effort as you want so you can start gently without the risk injury or strain.
It’s good for general health and fitness: regular cyclists can be as fit as someone ten years younger, and immune systems will be stronger – so cyclists should be less prone to minor illnesses. In theory, this could reduce the day-to-day demands on general practice.
It boosts the brain cells: people who cycle, whether to work or school, arrive alert, happy and ready for the day ahead.
It helps you stay trim: twenty minutes of gentle cycling burns up to 100 calories, and it’s easier and cheaper to do than many other forms of exercise.
It gives your body a great once over: riding a bike is a great way to protect yourself against heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity. It’s also brilliant for working off stress at the end of the day.
It’s easy to do: cycling is something everyone can do, anytime – and because it’s so easily integrated into daily life – it shouldn’t take a major lifestyle adjustment to reap the benefits.
It’s cheap: once you have the essential equipment (which can be picked up without great expense), cycling is more or less free to do. There’s no membership or entry fee, unlike other sporting or fitness activities. The only thing that may cost more is the food needed to fuel the cycle trips!
It can help reduce pollution: fewer cars on the road means fewer emissions, which benefits everyone.
Ready to give cycling more support? Then make a pledge
