Yes, we’ve all heard: it’s the end of the semester, and for many, this is the last push before a glorious one or two months off of school work, exams, and long hours at the library. This final push can also be exhausting, as we can feel incredibly burnt out by now.

Best way to deal with this? Incorporate something new! Luckily, May is national biking month!

Realistically, it would be hard for me to preach biking to work for the rest of this month or biking to USG from the other side of the county. However, there are several ways to celebrate National Biking Month that can also benefit your worn out mind…

• That 2-5 minute drive to the grocery store? Why not bike?
• Yes, a study marathon may be unavoidable. But a 10-15 minute break benefits your mind, body and sanity. Why not take a bike ride? Especially with the beautiful weather.
• Don’t have a bike? There are Capital Bikeshare stations all over the place! A single 30-minute trip is only 2 dollars; if you wanted to use it for a day and bike to work or class, it’s just 8 dollars! Think of it this way: this would probably be less than the cost of gas and the daily cost for many gyms out there. You get your commute and workout all in one nice bundle.
• Montgomery has dozens of fantastic bike trails. Take advantage of this! No need to weave in and out of traffic in the city or worry about a driver not seeing you. These trails are both safe and beautiful.
• If you do have the opportunity to ride to work, National Ride to Work week is next week! If you just don’t have the energy to do it all day, the National Day for it is next Friday, May 17. Though some of us might not work, I’m sure nobody would be on your case for riding to class instead of work 🙂

I’m not an expert in biking. I ride around downtown Silver Spring occasionally and in the trails back at home in Howard County. However, I’ve always envied how my co-worker, who biked to work every day the first half of the year, in heat, rain, or ice (once his brakes froze!), game to work energized. He never seemed quite as tired as the rest of us.

If you are interested in learning more, the League of American Bicyclists has a page all on National Bike Month.

Happy Biking!