Children Are Encourged to Ride Bicycles to School by Bike Program

A pilot program is launched to encourge children to ride bicycles to school across Texas in the United States. On last Friday, as more than 300 students at Sommer Elementary School celebrated the kickoff of a program, it seemed they didn’t need any encouragement.

“I think it’s fun to ride your bike, it’s just the joy of it,” 8-year-old Jason Schneider said. Riding to school in the morning is something to look forward to, he said. “You actually get to get up early,”he said. Braden Olson, also 3, chimed in. ” You get a chance to exercise and to strengthen your legs.

Volunteers gave each child a free bike helmet, donated by the Austin Cycling Association, with a microchip attached to it. The chips help transmit the number of rides a child takes. A radio frequency scanner powered by a solar panel and mounted on a large pole outside the school will read the chips and send the information to an Internet database. Students will receive awards based on how many times they ride to school, including tickets to a raffle for a free bike.

For the traffic is so atrocious, I think it’s a great way to jump-start your kids into riding to school. For good measure, it can help keep children strong and healthy. It’s only a pilot program. But I hope it can continue in the future, better from now, not only children, but also all of us, as long as it is close enough, try to ride bicycles to school or to office.

Lose Weight with Sports

  When many people think of exercise, they think of two things; running distances, and lifting weights. The problem is that many people just find them boring. There are some people who love to play sports, but only do so occasionally. If these people realized how much exercise they get from playing their favorite sports, they may be more inclined to play more often. My only explanation is that people feel they don’t have time.  While every sport burns calories and is great exercise, there are a few sports that are popular, or are surprising, and burn calories.

I attempted to play a pick-up game of volleyball with Kevin of Weight Loss Journal, but I didn’t realize the level of the competition. Many of the players were in a league and had their exact positioning down. I’m better than the average person who hasn’t played in a while (since I hadn’t either), but I’m not ready to compete with those who do play quite often.

Soccer.  Many people who do not like exercise and running look at soccer and laugh; they could never see themselves running up and down a field for a long period of time. Those who enjoy soccer, however, should know that they are burning a lot of calories and getting a lot of exercise out of soccer. Soccer, depending on the level of competitiveness, can burn between 500 and 800 calories per hour; this is great exercise.

Beach Volleyball.  Beach volleyball has always been a major pastime for people who are at summer holiday parties and are spending time at the beach. Beach volleyball, especially the competitive type, can burn a lot of calories. Some types of beach volleyball can actually burn over 600 calories per hour.

Table Tennis.  In a more interesting and nearly humorous way to exercise, competitive table tennis can actually burn around 300 calories per hour. While many people do not work nearly as hard as competitive table tennis players, it is still a great excuse to play.

Pick Up Games.  Many NFL and NBA fans consistently play pick up games as a way to enjoy their favorite sports. Playing pick up games of football or basketball can burn over 600 calories per hour. Many people play pick up games on occasion; to get a lot of exercise, people should play these games more often.

While some of these sports are popular, and others may seem a little more off-beat, each one can help someone get their exercise in without making it seem like “exercise”. Sports are hard work, and constantly help people to lose weight and burn calories. By attempting to play a favorite sport more often, and for longer periods of time, some people may not even need to use the normal avenues of running and lifting for their exercise needs.