The benefits of cycling to work: a healthy life

BBVA Suiza, in conjunction with Pro Velo Switzerland, is encouraging its employees to adopt a healthy lifestyle and team work with this fun challenge: cycling to work during at least half of the month of June. This challenge not only highlights our value of working as one team but also offers a number of benefits which will help our employees embrace a healthy lifestyle. Over 2,000 local companies are taking part in Switzerland's 'Bike to work' campaign which encourages a healthy lifestyle. BBVA Switzerland, which has been offering Private Banking services from its offices in Zurich for over 30 years, has decided to become part of the Swiss ecosystem by taking part in this innovative initiative which is quite common there. There are nearly 8 million inhabitants and 4 million bicycles in Switzerland and 10% of the daily commutes are by bike. The Swiss are very pro-cycling and this is borne out by the hundreds of kilometres of cycle lanes in its towns and cities. Mutual respect between motorists and cyclists is a given and is clear for all to see. Cycling is not only good for your health, it is also environmentally friendly. It's an economical and functional way of getting around and helps the environment by:

1. cutting CO2 emissions;
2. reducing chaos on the roads and traffic jams as well as pollution;
3. making urban areas pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly and opening up more green spaces;
4. gradually reducing noise and light pollution.

Cycling every day is beneficial to our personal and professional health as not only does it keep us fit but it also helps us work better. A recent study in the 'British Medical Journal' shows that cycling to work helps improve our health and leads to a better working environment as well as reducing absenteeism. Its many health benefits include:

1. regular exercise which helps keep us in shape;
2. greater concentration and receptiveness as more oxygen reaches our brains;
3. lower risk of cardiovascular diseases;
4. combats a sedentary lifestyle and increases levels of the feel-good chemical serotonin.

Cycling and cyclists have also embraced technology and we're seeing more and more e-bikes around our towns and cities. Cyclists also use apps to work out the shortest or less congested routes and to check the number of calories they've burned each day. Other companies such as Google, are working on prototypes of ultra-safe cycling helmets which incorporate LEDs to indicate when the cyclist is preparing to turn, as well as Bluetooth to automatically activate music during the ride. BBVA in Switzerland is the only BBVA Group bank offering private banking services from its Zurich offices. Switzerland has a AAA rating and is a safe, neutral and stable country which is ideal for customers wishing to diversify their assets outside of their country of residence. BBVA in Switzerland is also fully committed to sustainable development and encouraging its employees to cycle to work is a clear example of this.