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Cycling is an activity of using bicycles for various purposes such as transportation, exercise, sport and recreation. It is a low impact exercise which can be done by people of all age groups from kids to elderly people. Cycling is a cheap, healthy and environmental friendly method of transportation. Apart from the commonly used bicycles, there are unicycles, tricycles, quadricycles and recumbent cycles.

Cycling was a favourite pastime for most of the people during childhood. F rom tricycles to bicycles, children would love to spend most of their time cycling with their friends after school hours and weekends. But as a child grows into a young girl /boy, he/she tends to forget cycles and gets more attached with bikes. And then the role of cycles in a person’s life decreases eventually.

But cycling has numerous beneficial effects on both health and environment. Cycling is a potential solution to the environmental issues of air pollution, energy security, traffic congestion and noise pollution. Cycles are mode of transport that doesn’t need any type of fuel.

So using more of cycles would reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Since no fuel is used, there are no emissions or smoke released into the air. Using cycles for nearby and other possible places would reduce carbon footprint. Cycle bells are probably the only source for noise from cycle and so noise pollution could be reduced.

Besides it also has a lot of health benefits. Cycling is a wonderful low-impact exercise that enhances both physical and mental well-being. It burns calories which help in reduction and management of weight. Cycling is a good workout for muscles and strengthens leg muscles. It reduces the risks of diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and helps in improved cardiovascular functioning. It improves balance, posture and coordination of the body. Cycling boosts mental health by reducing stress, anx iety and depression. Practicing cycling in the morning can give a positive and fresh start to the day by boosting energy, blood circulation and metabolism.

The constraints in using cycles are traffic congestion and lack of provisions/ lanes for cycling in roads.

To overcome these issues, government and City Corporations are working on decongesting traffic and providing lane for cycles. Europe has been a pioneer example of using bicycles for transportation. There is increase in usage of bicycles in Europe due to
incentives for e-bikes, new lanes for bicycles and increased awareness. This system is popular in cities of USA too.

Bicycle Sharing System has been widely practiced in many countries in the world. It is a shared transport system in which bicycles
are made available for individuals to share on a short-term basis for rent. Integrated cycling and public transportation system is also being practiced in many countries. It is a system in which especially the office going people use public transport till the bus/ train stop near office and then takes cycle from parking facility in bus/ train stop, to reach their office. Implementing such practices would encourage cycling and benefit in both health and environment aspects. Let us understand the benefits of cycling and make it as a part of lives.