Teach your Kids a Healthier Lifestyle – Cycle to Work

Kids learn from their parents. It is a monkey-see, monkey-do attitude for the most part. The way that children are raised often molds them into the adults they become.

If you live in close proximity to work, driving a vehicle may be more trouble than its worth. Biking to work helps the environment, saves money and helps you get in shape. Children will want to be more active just from the example in front of them.

Companies these days are beginning to adopt a cycle to work scheme more frequently. Health cover/insurance costs become less and employees miss less days of work. Biking to work benefits a company as much as it does a family.

Take Leisure Rides as a Family

Once the work bike is parked for the day, enjoy dinner and relax a bit. Finish the evening with a family bike ride for fun. Of course, you’ll have to use a personal bike for this purpose though.

After a full day of work or school, a relaxing bike ride can rejuvenate a generally calm mood. Play games as you bike, such as “Eye Spy”, to make the ride more entertaining. The activities will get kids excited to go for that daily bike ride.

Riding for leisure is more relaxing than biking to work.

Eat Healthier

The regular exercise that a family can get from biking together often adopts healthier eating plans too. The body is not going to crave sweets and fried foods. It will want items that replenish electrolytes, vitamins and minerals instead.

Kids tend to be picky eaters, after a bike ride, offer a snack of raw vegetables with a healthy dip. Kids are usually turned off to vegetables just from the color diminishing during the cooking process.

Save Money on Vehicle Maintenance

Owning a vehicle comes with expensive. Generally speaking, using it less requires less maintenance. Saving money as a parent is important as child related emergencies can happen frequently.

Vehicles can cost upwards of $1,000 per year or more. This is funding that could be used for health checkups, renovations or other items for the family.

Begin a Savings Account for Trips

Take the funds saved from not having to do vehicle maintenance and put it into a savings account. This will give families the opportunity to go on trips or partake in activities.

Working for a company that uses a cycle scheme program makes these things possible. The company provides the bike so there is no out of pocket cost. The only thing an employee may have to purchase is safety equipment.

Getting away for a weekend to visit the next city over is an idea. You could also visit a theme park or take an entire week to explore a new area. The possibilities as to what the extra funds saved could do for the family.

If trips are not in the plan, consider home improvements or creating a nest egg instead.

Teach Children a Strong Work Ethic

You might wonder what biking to work has to do with work ethic. It teaches adults and children that sometimes getting to work requires a bit of work. Maintaining a job is more than just showing up every day.

This is a life lesson that children can benefit from. You have to work hard, put all of yourself into the position and be able to make good choices while at work to succeed. Even slightly under the weather, you are still needed at your job.

Consider explaining why you bike to work rather than drive. Some examples are:

It is relaxing before a long day

Is good exercise

Does not pollute the air

Better concentration at work

Company incentives

The opportunity for raises and bonuses

Younger children may have a hard time grasping some of these concepts. The idea here is, biking to work instills value, moral lessons and helps to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Cycling to and from work gives people more of a reason to say they are genuinely tired. With that being said, the healthy lifestyle comes into play. Salads are much easier to put together than a comfort food meal.

Consider the trade-offs and embrace the idea of cycling to work, especially when it is a company provided mode of transportation.

Image courtesy of arzsamua/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net