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Sun is rising, birds are chirping and you are riding your bike, breathing the fresh morning air. Sounds like a dream? Not necessarily, if you make your dreams come true and swap your car to your bike for commuting to work. Our official Bike To Work Month in May 2019 at SAP aims to motivate all of SAP’s employees to bike to work while improving their health and their environmental performance.
We all know that sport keeps you happy and healthy – so why not integrate your fitness session into your daily routine? Because the positive thing about cycling is, that everybody can do it. If fast or slow, it’s up to you, which intensity level you choose. It takes you everywhere and by doing that you are burning calories, strengthening your muscles and improving your condition. Want to know more? Read on.
Improve your health and brain performance
Finnish and British researches show that a half-hour ride every day has a 40 percent lower risk of developing diabetes and burns at the same time nearlyfive kilograms fat over one year. A research of the University of Tokyo showed that during exercise, cycling rises your blood flow in your brain by 28 percent. Even after exercise the blood flow remains higher. Perfect to start your workday with a fit mind and a fit body.
And the list of positive bullet points continues: it saves costs for fuel, reduces noise pollution and improves in particular your inner navigation system, because it motivates you to find new bicycle tracks and shortcuts. While being slower than by driving a car, you are able to perceive your environment better, but you’re not too slow that it is getting boring.
Reduce your stress level
It is also proven, that cycling reduces your stress level and gives you the perfect opportunity to calm down on your ride home from work. You can gear up and get rid of your negative energy by feeling the speed and the wind in your face. It gives you time to process your thoughts while just enjoying the landscape. Or take your chance and team up with colleagues and get to know new people on your ride to work.
Get inspired by our global Bike To Work initiators
Bike To Work as an initiative aims to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals three and thirteen: Good Health and Well-Being and Climate Action. Two of our Bike To Work initiators will tell you why they contribute to these goals and what motivation drives them to organize Bike To work at their location.
Brno – cycling for better infrastructure
Since last year, our Sustainability Champion Martin Pecha organizes Bike To Work in Brno, SAP Labs Czech Republic. Martin already organized Bike To Work at his former employer and wanted to also introduce it at SAP Brno. With the support of Brno’s office lead Martin Janacek the project got real with huge success. This year, already 40 participants signed up for SAP Brno’s actions.
For Martin, organizing Bike To Work means to promote green commuting to work because he believes in its future: „Brno is a city of a half million people with annoying traffic but also with good opportunities for the improvement in this direction. I love to bike but it is sometimes too adventurous in our city as the infrastructure is not fully developed. It could be improved only when more people take care about the environment.“ Looking at this example we can add SDG #9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure on the agenda of Bike To Work.
Even if his main focus is on biking, for Martin taking care of the environment is not only about this topic. He and his colleagues want to build a community in their Brno office to work together on various sustainability projects. He was for example contacted by a colleague, who wanted to have a vermicomposter at SAP’s Brno office to handle bio trash. „I am happy that more people are getting involved and tell me their ideas“, says Martin.
SAP Montreal for winners
In Canada, more precisely Montreal, another Sustainability Champion takes part at the global Bike to Work actions.
„I’m the captain of the SAP cycling team in Montreal and WE Bike to Work!”, says Alexandra Paradis. “I’m glad to be part of SAP, a company that encourages us to lead the way with such uplifting initiatives. My motivations to be implicated in the Bike to Work action are to promote a sustainable mode of transportation, to demonstrate that it is possible to effectively integrate sport into our routine and share my passion for cycling.” Last year, the SAP Montreal cycling team finished in 3rd position overall the 200+ companies in Quebec who participated to the Bike to Work Challenge. A highly motivated Alexandra tells us: ”The SAP Montreal cycling team is aiming for the 1st place this year come and see our stats for yourself!“ And of course we keep our fingers crossed!
It is easier than you think to get fit and healthy, and contribute to our environment at the same time. Team up with your colleagues and create your own Bike To Work actions or keep an eye out for bike exhibitions, health checks, safety trainings and info stands at SAP or your own organization. Share your Bike to Work month contributions by taking pictures and share them on social media tagging #sap4good. We look forward to seeing you on the road as you bike to work this month!
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