chris ss

Check it out - now it's official, what we've known all along.

https://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011...cc=es-20111106

Caretaker

The primary motivator for the individual are the increased levels of personal fitness. The environmental gains require high levels of participation amoung the population.

It has always amazed me how people would rather pay for gym membership than make simple changes to their lifestyle that have greater and longer lasting beneficial effects.

Looigi

It's getting exercise that make the difference, not a gym membership or a bike. You don't need either to get exercise, though they may help your motivation.

Caretaker

I wouldn't equate buying a bike with paying for gym membership. A bike is a tool for getting places, doing things, even meeting people.

At a gym, the people you're most likely to meet are employees, incentivised to sell you something and you're a captive audience on that gym bike that's not going anywhere.

stonefree

I love cycling, but I still want a gym membership.

SumoMuffin

Great article, thanks for posting it.

bigbadwullf

NPR. Pushing an agenda. What else is new.

Pistard

I do both, Gym 6 month (Winter) then bike I can suspend my membership for 15 bucks up to 6 Month, Works great

Looigi

A bike can be, but only if used as such. Most bike lie dormant rusting in the garage or basement. Personally, I only use mine for exercise and road riding, not for transportation. I certainly meet people on the bike, at the gym, and everywhere else there are people to meet. It's a simple fact that you can get plenty of exercise without gym memberships, bikes, or anything else. You like bikes, I like bikes, and I assume all of us here in these forums like bikes. But they are just bikes.

Caretaker

Well, we all post from our own experience.

In Ireland we don't have basements and only a minority have garages and a very tiny minority double garages. You do see abandoned bikes here, usually missing wheels and locked to some street furniture but also lots of people use them to get places for all kinds of purposes.

I use my bike to go to work, for shopping, for exercise, to stay sane, etc.

Different strokes for different folks.

Booger1

The REAL secret to long life is to NOT pay attention to all of the studies.....Well,THAT and pick your parents well......

pg13

you cant pick your parents though lol and except for maybe exercising out of the house(change of scenery) and space considerations and possibly pool/jacuzzi i dont really get gyms. everything you can do there you can do at home. or for free or nearly for free but certainly less than the fees they charge.

GMJ

I feel like I the biggest benefit to riding to the grocery store for me is that I can't buy that much food since I can't carry it all.

Less food in house = Less food in my mouth.

For your health.

chris ss

I've never been a member of a gym so I'm happy to take your word for what's inside there - certainly sounds plausible.

But I have also been amazed at what appears to me to be "goofy" decisionmaking... here in Ohio people spend $500-1000 on a snowblower to avoid 30 minutes of modest exercise a couple times a year, then go spend a load more on a gym to lose weight. ???