-Paul Caccamo Up2Us Sports Founder & CEO
I swerve through Times Square, glide through Herald Square, pedal past the Flat Iron Building, and zoom down 5th Avenue to Washington Square Park.
I am one of those insane New Yorkers who is a biker. I bike everywhere—to work, to the gym, to the opera, to that bar in the Lower East Side. I also bike to all my funder meetings.
I often arrive windblown and, depending whether or not my chain fell off along the way, with rather embarrassing greasy fingers. But it gives the right impression; after all, I practice what I preach. At a meeting with a foundation, I may be drenched if it was raining, but I'm the most focused person in the room. That's because physical activity is essential for brain function. Not only does it keep us physically fit, but it keeps us mentally alert, focused, and on-task.
It's National Bike Month. National Bike to Work Week is May 11-15 and Bike to Work Day is May 15. It's a great time for all of us to consider how we implement physical activity in our day-to-day life. After all, we need to set an example for our children. We need to advocate for getting kids moving and demand that every school guarantee at least one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity to every student every day.
Just in New York City, bicycle commuting to and from Manhattan has more than doubled since 2005, more than tripled since 2000, and more than quintupled since 1990. Further proof that people are transitioning to biking comes from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Over half a million New Yorkers ride a bike at least several times a month. It doesn’t matter if you’re commuting to and from work/school or just taking leisurely rides on the weekends, we love to see this boost in physical activity through biking and hope to see continued upward growth. If you’re a beginner, check out this article on Time.com with tips for first-timers, and you’ll be comfortably cruising in no time.
Happy and safe biking during this month of May!
