Photo: Tom Jamieson for the New York Times
“London’s bike-rental program has proved popular. Now, patients at two medical centers in Cardiff, Wales, will be offered six-month subscriptions to a bike-rental service, with free rides of up to 30 minutes,” reported the New York Times last year.
Last week, as I watched two grandchildren painstakingly donning piles of bulky ice hockey gear, I remarked that for me, walking is the best exercise because you don’t have to do any prep. You just open the door and go out. My granddaughter, age 7, opined that walking is boring, and I have to admit that ice hockey may be more heart-pumping.
But I am not bored. And after walking every day for many years, I no longer feel surprised that I like to exercise. At first, I was resistant to doing anything. But a friend who was an internist leaned on me about exercising. And I knew if I were going to do anything regularly over a long period of time, it would have to be something I liked. So, walking was it.
Given that I go quite slow, I was surprised that when I told various doctors I just ambled, they didn’t seem bothered. Then I heard one refer to walking as a “weight-bearing activity,” and the penny dropped!
In the United Kingdom, doctors are making it easy for patients to exercise by means of bicycles. And like me, many former non-exercisers are surprised to find that they like it.
The BBC reports, “A cycling-on-prescription scheme trialled in Yorkshire has been so successful it could be rolled out across the UK, the organisers said. The scheme allows health professionals to offer those with long-term conditions 12 weeks of cycle training.
“More than 1,000 people have been referred to the scheme since it launched four years ago, according to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Cycle UK said the scheme showed cycling was good for overall wellbeing. …
“The initiative is funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which covers Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield and York.
“Figures from 2018/2019 showed people using the scheme reporting a marked increase in feeling more confident and relaxed. …
“At the start of the programme, only 18% of participants were meeting the NHS [National Health Service] activity guidelines of 150 minutes per week — a figure that rose to 73% afterwards.
“Andrea, 47, from Wakefield, was referred as she has suffered from anxiety. ‘I’m more confident. I’m able to be out with other people more than I would normally,’ she said. ‘My fitness has improved, my lung function is a lot better than it has been and now I actually want to go out and do other things, and keep cycling, keep active and really start living my life.’ …
“Cycling UK said the scheme started in Yorkshire, and has since been trialled in areas including Wales, Manchester and London, but is not yet available nationwide.” More at the BBC, here.
The New York Times, here, talks about the biking-rx trial in Wales, noting, “Nextbike, the company that offers the bicycle service for patients in Cardiff, provides rentals in many other European cities. Mareike Rauchhaus, a spokeswoman for the company, said that it participated in a program called By Bike to Work, which allowed people to claim prizes from their health insurance providers if they cycled to work. …
“Dr. Karen Pardy, a family doctor who is participating in the program in Cardiff, said in the statement [that] she hoped prescriptions would encourage people to ‘have a go at cycling around Cardiff’ and realize how the activity can support their well-being.”
P.S. If you search Suzanne’s Mom’s Blog for the word “prescription,” you’ll find a lot of posts on doctors’ unusual prescriptions to encourage more healthful living, including biking in Boston, woodland walks, gardening, museum visits, poetry, music, dance, art …
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
You find the BEST stories to share!!!!! Due to our unusually mild January weather, I have been able to continue bicycling longer than usual this winter. Yesterday I went shopping at Trader Joe’s and felt so happy biking home with two bags of groceries on my bike… Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Thank you for your wonderful blog.
Well, you’re a role model for getting around as much as possible without burning fossil fuels.
What a great idea!! I love to walk, too, but not when it’s cold. Just being outside in nature makes me feel better.
I definitely agree about being outside in nature. If it’s too icy or cold, I go around and around indoors, but I really miss the fresh air.
Thanks for your tradition of good news we can use. : ) A neighbor and I walk twice a week and it feels great. I really appreciate you subscribing to Fake Flamenco. Gracias, Rebecca
I usually do my walks alone, but in the summer, when I am in Rhode Island a lot, I enjoy walking and talking with a dear friend.
Both sound wonderful. A good walk lifts my spirits.
I used to love to walk, but as arthritis has sat in, biking is my preferred form of exercise. In the winter, I peddle on the road to nowhere, listening to a podcast. In the summer, I peddle along beautiful Maranacook Lake. Love it!
Ooh, that sounds nice! Restorative to both body and soul.
Should be “set” not “sat.” Oh, those typos!
I can vouch that cycling around Cardiff is very enjoyable! We still need to look to the Netherlands, where there are excellent facilities for cyclists and often no need for them to mix with traffic.
The Netherlands are also pretty flat, which would be more my style — though I really loved Wales when I was there in the 1980s.