Did you know…?
We know that it’s not always easy to get on a bike. But here are some tips to entice your brain and also to debunk those excuses, so you won’t be able to resist.
Did you know... that you can entice your brain to get on a bike?
We give you five tips
How do you entice your brain to get on a bike? We give you five tips to help you on your way, literally.
1. Start small
Don’t try to do too much at once; start with a short cycle ride on a lovely spring day. Positive experiences provide intrinsic motivation and keep resistance at bay. Apart from that headwind perhaps.
2. Count your kilometres
With a step counter – or actually a pedal stroke counter – you will want to exercise more, and it really becomes fun to do your metres each day. There is a variation incorporated into almost every smartphone. You can also use a smartwatch of course.
3. Make a plan (and share it)
You’ve made a start, now keep going! Draw up a concrete plan and share it with your family, friends or colleagues. For example: I will go cycling every Friday. Sharing your plans is the perfect nudge and motivates like a charm.
4. Find supporters
You don’t have to do it alone. Find people who support and encourage you. Oh, and make sure you become their loyal supporter for their sporting activities too. Win-win!
5. Challenge others
Your brain gets a kick from reward, so a competition is always a good idea. Challenge colleagues to take the bike more often. See who cycles the most this month. Use Strava, Onyva or other sports or bike apps to track your kilometres. Drinks are on the house!
Did you know...
... You can do your very best to be healthy, but if you don’t get enough sleep, nothing will have much of an effect?
That is what sleep coach Mark Schadenberg says in his interview. Sleep is the basis for optimal fat burning, hormone balance, digestion and for both your body’s recovery as well as your mental resilience. People who do not sleep enough run a greater risk of becoming sick: after all, the immune system of poor sleepers is less active than that of sleepyheads. If you are one of those poor sleepers, go to bed at the same time every day and create an evening ritual. That will give your brain the signal that it is time to go to sleep.
As Joop Zoetemelk once said: ‘You win the Tour in bed.’
... Cycling between Waalwijk, Loon op Zand and Tilburg is a bit more comfortable thanks to the F261?
This fast cycle route, also called the ‘Heart of Brabant Route', mainly consists of wide, separate cycle paths and a new bike tunnel near the Efteling theme park. In the coming years, Brabant will continue constructing fast cycle routes. It aims to construct complete routes from A to B and connect large distances, between the five major Brabant cities but also between middle-sized cities and villages. The map shows you what routes should be ready in 2030. Stay up to date!
... Bye bye excuses and hello bike!
There are more than enough reasons to grab the bike, but at the same time, we often have more than enough excuses to jump in the car again. Sjees Hannelore asked ‘cycling refusers’ why they leave their two-wheeled steed in the shed far too often.
The top three:
1.
It’s raining (you stay dry in a flashy poncho)
2.
It takes too long (ha! Not if you take one of these fast cycle routes)
3.
It’s very windy (wind in your back on your return trip!)
Cycling facts... did you know
…that cycling is made very easy for us?
…for example, through various apps and e-bike charging points
…there is a Spotify list especially for cyclists? You can find it under the name Cadans.
… most people are righthanded?
... that is because in the past, you had to squeeze a horn and your dominant hand had to stay on the wheel?
…there are many distinctive bike bells?
...the number one excuse is ‘yes, but it rains a lot’?
…We are dismissing that excuse right now. Because the rain is not that bad in fact. Gerard Poels put it to the test, and every day for ten years he recorded whether it rained during the 40 minutes he cycled to his work. The result: of the 3,246 trips, he stayed dry 2,929 times. So over 90% of the time.
Did you know that cycling is also good for the brain?
When peddling, the brain produces endorphins. It eases the pain of exertion, and your head fills with feelings of happiness and even euphoria. The monotonous movement of cycling also has a relaxing effect on the brain, and certainly if you are cycling through lovely surroundings. Thirty minutes a day is enough to relax the brain. What’s stopping you? Read what else cycling does for your body in the article ‘The Happy Cyclist’ on page 6.
