National Bike Month

Life can be a lot like a bicycle’s wheel (or any wheel for that matter): sometimes you’re up. Other times, you’re down. And as the month of May brings around the celebration of the National Bike Month, let this be a reminder to get rolling once again. That if you want to stay on top of your game (or on a more grim note, stay on top of the ground), you should start hopping on a bike and celebrate its virtues of health and wellness benefits and economic savings.

Established in 1956, the National Bike Month espouses to showcase the many benefits of cycling in the hopes of encouraging more people to try it out. Istorya.net has collected several reasons why you should:


Cebu summers are the best. Get out there and enjoy it!

There are tons of ways you can enjoy summer while burning away those calories. However, research shows that riding a bike is one of the most active ways to lose weight. A leisurely bike ride (one where you ride at speeds lower than 10 miles per hour) burns 281 calories. Compare that to the 176 calories that gets burned during an walk and the math speaks for itself. PLUS there’s nothing quite like riding across the mountains of Busay or the Transcentral Highway. Trust me, it’s a win-win situation!

It’s more low-impact than you think.

Cycling gets your legs moving and your heart pumping without grinding your joints. As someone who has had more leg injuries than I’ve bothered to take note of, this is very crucial. Running has the potential to take its toll on the body especially on your joints. Biking, on the other hand, is far lower impact and engages the muscles in the legs without as much force coming down on the knees. So long as you keep your legs pumping on your bike, it ends up being a smoother, lower risk form of cardio you’ll appreciate, especially if you're recovering from an injury.


Biking is at the forefront of the “Green Revolution.”

If time is not of the essence, why not put your legs to work while going to work or somewhere else? You’re not only doing yourself a favor, you’re also helping the environment out. Instead of slouching in front of the steering wheel cursing rush hour traffic, biking to work adds an additional calorie burn to your daily or occasional routine.

It’s an activity you’ll be able to do the rest of your life.

That amazing physique taken from that Spartan-like regiment won’t be so easy to do further down the line. One of the best things about bicycling is that you’ll still be able to do it long far longer than you’ll be able to do dead lifts in the weight room. Riding a bicycle will sustain you when the time comes you’ll be too sore or too stiff to lift or run.

Bust stress through biking.

Most scientific research has generally supported the idea that exercise helps to ease stress. Bicycling is very much a part of that, but it’s also worth considering that bike commuters have reported lower stress levels than their counterparts using cars and mass transit

Exploring and really getting to know the area around you better.

Often times, there’s just not enough time or opportunities to explore the beauty there is in Cebu. Even if you run outdoors, there are still limitations to where and how far you can run (most of us can’t run past Mandaue, how much more to Bogo?). But with a bike, the range of travel and exploration rises. So go out and explore your limits. You’ll be surprised by what you see and find.

For your sense of freedom and above all, for fun.

Do you remember the first time you learned how to ride a bike? I do. After all the gashes and bruises I suffered from falling down, there was this sense of freedom that came afterwards, that somehow the world was now my own playground. It’s to rekindle that old feeling once again. Enjoy the outdoors like a kid again and hop on a bike.

With so many reasons to ride, what's yours? Feel free to discuss in the comments section!



Jonas Rey Panerio
iSTORYA League of Writers

*Jonas is... He's legen-wait for it-dary.