Happy Bike to Work Day! This annual event is celebrated across the nation to promote the fun, eco-friendly, healthy way of getting to work: on two wheels that you pedal yourself.
I owe one of my neighbors some gratitude for reminding me last night that Bike to Work Day is May 17. As much as I’ve ridden my bike to work over the years, I’ve always managed to miss biking on the actual Bike to Work Day.
But not today. Today, I was going to ride my bike, and I was going to eat the free cookies on offer at one of several Bike to Work Day locations that would be providing coffee and breakfast to bike commuters in my city. My neighbor’s reminder came just in time for me to pump up those tires and locate my heavy-duty lock (one of my coworkers had her bike stolen from outside the building last week, so I won’t take any chances).
I’d like to say I would have biked to work even without that added incentive, considering the gorgeous weather and the fact that pedaling to the office always makes me feel great, but I have to admit that those free snacks sealed the deal. And when I rolled into the Bike to Work Day meeting spot to accept some OJ and cookies this morning, I couldn’t help but think of Sandy’s latest editorial, which will appear in our June issue of EHS Today magazine. She observes that companies can talk up the wonders of wellness all they want, but unless they get serious about implementing real change – and perhaps reward employees for participation – what they say might amount to nothing more than lip service. (Check back for her editorial to be posted online in early June.)
As for me, I know that I have to be motivated all on my own if I want to continue biking to work on a regular basis. But let’s face it ... knowing that today was Bike to Work Day, where I’d not only be joined by plenty of other bikers on the roads but would also be plied with free cookies? That was the incentive that got me on the bike.
To learn more about safe bike commuting and Bike to Work Day, visit the League of American Bicyclists site. For more on workplace wellness incentives, read some of our recent coverage:
- The Health Incentive: Employers Encourage Workers to Take Action on Health
- Money Talks When It Comes to Losing Weight, Mayo Clinic Study Finds
- Six Keys to Maximize the Value of Wellness Incentive Programs
- When It Comes to Being Healthy at Work, You Gotta Believe
- Dieting for Dollars: Men Lose More Weight When Cash Is at Stake