Cycle towards a healthier body, mind and pocket
Dr James Napier, avid cyclist and clinical lead for intensive care at Newham University Hospital, blogs about the many benefits of cycling to work and how we’re working to improve support for staff who wish to cycle.
Thursday 8 August is Cycle to Work Day, a rather timely opportunity to talk about the excellent developments happening at Newham University Hospital and across the trust to support you to get on your bike.
I started cycling as a kid and have cycled ever since. It has been my main way of getting around at school, university and work, for short distances anyway! I also love the freedom that cycling gives, and the fact that it always takes the same amount of time to get to work.
Cycling to work can be beneficial to your body, mind and pocket. As you well know the NHS recommends we get at least 150 minutes of exercise each week and an activity like cycling is a wonderful way to hit that target. Having an active lifestyle can help improve our wellbeing, which in turn helps us perform better at work. And of course, if you are in a position to cycle, you can do away with travel, car park and petrol costs and do your bit for the environment.
So far we have a total of 186 cycle spaces onsite at Newham. You can find out where you can safely store you bikes on the intranet.
Newham University Hospital is connected to several key cycle routes - the Greenway which runs from Hackney and Becton, CS2 from Stratford to Aldgate and CS3 from Barking to East India Dock Road. Each of these offers a great alternative to cars, buses and trains, and there are many other routes used by Newham's cyclists.
The route I cycle from Hackney goes through three parks, the canal and the Greenway. It is lovely and I get to work feeling really positive about the day. I have a chance to think about stuff as I cycle which to me is mentally liberating and sometimes I get to cycle with a colleague so we have a good chat about things as we travel. It is also ‘free’ exercise so I get about an hour of good exercise a day when I might otherwise be sitting in a car or on a bus.
I’d also like to mention the upcoming new link from the hospital to the Greenway which is being developed and will be the first traffic-free connection between the sites, and a state-of the-art cycle compound which will increase the number of places you can safely store your bike. Keep your eyes peeled for an update on this as work commences to complete these projects in the coming months.
Have your heard of our Cycle to Work scheme? This allows you to get almost any item you need to cycle to work including a bike or accessories like lights, locks, helmet and clothing at a typical discount of 25% to 39%. Why not sign up for the scheme and download the application form?
Otherwise, if you have an unused bike in need of some TLC, take it to your local bike shop for a check-up and make an investment you will not regret.