YouAsk Kim
A woman sitting above the sea, looking out

Move · 20 min

Take the bike outon a Sunday

Twenty minutes on two wheels, on a quiet Sunday road or path, at the speed of looking around.

20 minutesFrom the library, free to readFour steps
Save for laterTry it today

The bike in the shed or the hallway is often the one from years ago, waiting for a better week. Sunday is the better week. The roads are quieter, there is less to rush back for, and twenty minutes is all this asks.

The steps

Four small steps,in your own time.

  1. On Saturday evening, check that the tyres are firm and the brakes work. If something is wrong, a local bike shop can usually put it right quickly.

  2. Choose a short, quiet route you already know: a park path, a cycle lane, a loop of back streets.

  3. Put on a helmet and something bright, and ride for ten minutes at an easy pace, slow enough to look around.

  4. Turn around and ride back. When you are home, leave the bike where you will see it next Sunday.

The reason

Why it helps

Cycling works your legs and lungs without the jolt that running puts through your knees, which makes it kind to stiff joints. Twenty minutes in the open air, with the wind on your face and a little speed downhill, is one of the quickest ways to feel like a younger version of yourself. Doing it on the same day each week turns it into something you look forward to rather than something you ought to do.

A gentle variation

If you are out of practice, ride up and down a quiet path or an empty car park first. If you do not have a bike, many towns have bikes to hire by the hour, or you can borrow one from a friend for the morning.

Friends resting after a game, the sea behind them

WE · TRIBE

Try itwith someone.

Ask someone to ride with you, side by side where it is safe, and end at a café or a bench. If someone you care for cannot ride, they can walk or wheel part of the same loop and meet you at the end.

Make it a plan in HIVELIVE, with WE

Try it today

This Sunday, check your tyres and brakes, put on a helmet, and ride a quiet route for ten minutes out and ten minutes back.

Add it to your day

More like this

More from VIVE Move,for real days.

All of VIVE Move
A quiet room with a deep green sofa and morning light

Move · 10 min

Gentle yoga by a window

Five slow shapes on the floor by the brightest window you have, in ten minutes, with nothing to prove.

Neighbours setting a long table in a green garden

Move · 60 min

Play a game with friends

Padel, table tennis, a kickabout in the park: an hour of play with people you like is movement, and it counts.