May 17-21, 2010 is national Bike to Work Week, with Bike to Work Day being Friday, May 21, 2010. This is your chance to get involved. Invite your coworkers to participate with you.  You still have time to order the Change Gears t-shirts (safety green shirt to wear during your commute and/or the grey shirt to change into once you arrive) online, t-shirts can even be customized with your workplace logo. For information on how to order shirts email kdwhite@lickingcohealth.org.

For more information on Bike to Work visit the Licking County Trails Alliance website for local information or the League of American Bicyclists website for resources, ideas and best practices. The Ohio Department of Transportation offers information for bicyclists on their website. Another great resource they offer is the Street Smarts booklet. This manual teaches safe bicycling techniques on public roads and streets and will increase your safety and confidence whether you are a beginner or an expert.

Tips for biking to work:

*Gear up- If your bike has been in the garage since last summer, take it to your local bike shop for a tune-up to make sure it's in working order before your ride. A tune-up will typically cost about $35. It may be advantageous to carry water, first aid kit, pump, spare tire and a tire-repair kit.
*Select a route- Design a route by looking at a map of the bike trails or websites like MapMyRide. If you aren't a confident cyclist try to take roads and paths that have wide lanes, shoulders and have low traffic volumes. Test the route on a weekend to find out if it will be acceptable for a commute and to calculate your approximate travel time. If your weekend ride goes well, make sure you account for extra traffic time when you leave in the morning.
*Put safety first- Consult your physician to make sure you're fit enough to ride. Make sure you have a Snell/ANSI approved helmet, bright/reflective clothing, adequate reflectors and a headlight if you plan to ride at night.
*Think like a cyclist- Practice defensive driving and follow the laws. As a bicyclist you have the same rights and responsibilities as the driver of an automobile. Ride on the right side of the road, stop at signs/lights, blend in with traffic and use hand signals when turning, stopping and slowing.

Sincerely,

Kate White
Licking County Wellness Coalition Chair

Change Gears - Ride a Bike Campaign 

It's not too late to register for our first annual "Change Gears - Ride a Bike: Ride for your Health." The ride will begin and end at Advantage Fitness West (1845 W Main Street, Newark) and will give you the opportunity to take friends, family or coworkers on a round-trip ride to Granville, Alexandria or Johnstown. Healthy snacks will be provided along the way and a light lunch will be provided for those who register before May 7th. The event is free and the deadline to order shirts for the event has passed. T-shirts can be ordered for later pick-up with a $10 donation at the event. For more information visit www.phplc.org

Those of us involved in wellness have known for sometime that healthier kids do better in school, now there is data to prove it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) has released a new report, entitled: The Association between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance.  

The report indicates that school-based physical activity may help improve students’ grades and test scores and positively affect other factors that influence academic achievement.  The report also concludes that adding time during the school day for physical activity does not appear to take away from academic performance. The report and executive summary are available on the DASH Health and Academics website.