AUSA AberGreen and University of Aberdeen Internal Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge
Congratulations!
The Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge runs until 31 March, so you can still get involved! Post your active pictures on Instagram, tag us (@aberdeenunisa) and include #activeabdn2020. Here at AUSA we ran our internal competition in partnership with the University of Aberdeen to encourage students and staff to get involved and get active. Meet our winner - Ainoha! As of 17th of March, she logged in the most active travels on the Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge.
Ainoha says that 'a good way to begin reducing our ecological footprint is by walking instead of taking other means of transport. It is not only good for the planet but good for your health, too'. Ainoha won a brand new Ridgeback Comet bike. Congratulations!
Did you know that cyclists are the HAPPIEST commuters? This could be because active travel lowers stress and anxiety levels by around 25%, and makes us feel good about doing our bit for the environment. To mark University Mental Health Day on 5th March and to reap the benefits for yourself AUSA AberGreen and the University of Aberdeen are inviting UoA students to join the Scottish Workplace Journey Challenge. The journey challenge itself has many cool incentives and prizes, and to be in with a chance of winning a brand-new Ridgeback Comet bike complete with speedometer at our internal competition, all you have to do is log your active or sustainable journeys and upload at least one picture of your journey to Instagram using the hashtag #activeabdn2020. Keep reading to find the terms and conditions of the internal competition.
What to do:
Register yourself for The Scottish Workplace #journeychallenge here https://scotland.getmeactive.org.uk/. Make sure you set your profile public, and start logging your active travel journeys! Upload at least one photo of your experience, a short description and the hashtag #activeabdn2020 to Instagram.
When:
Between the 1st- 17th March to be in with a chance to win the AberGreen prize.
The national challenge is open the whole of March (1st-31st March 2020).
Terms and Conditions:
Click here to read our full terms and conditions.
The winner:
Will be selected by a panel of University and AUSA staff
Gets to keep their bike and bike accessory for life
Will be provided with safety training by AUSA AberGreen if required
Contact:
abergreen@abdn.ac.uk for any further questions about the competition.
Benefits of active travel:
Environmental
Bicycles use 2% as much energy as cars per passenger-kilometer, and cost less than 3% as much to purchase.
You can considerably lower your carbon footprint when you switch to active means of transport such as walking, cycling, public transport, car sharing etc.
Mental and physical health
A study by the YMCA showed that people who had a physically active lifestyle had a wellbeing score 32% higher than inactive individuals.
Mental health
According to Bike Portland, cyclists are the happiest commuters.
A 2018 study by VitalityHealth found that cyclists had levels of depression 25% lower than that of sedentary employees, and were more likely to be satisfied with their lives. On average, each cyclist’s higher productivity and lower absence levels equated to an extra six days work a year compared to inactive colleagues.
Physical health
Cycling burns between 400 and 100 calories an hour, depending on intensity and rider weight.
Cycling to work can cut a rider's risk of developing heart disease or cancer in half.
Cyclists' blood flow in the brain rose by 28%, and up to 70% in specific areas. Not only that but after exercise, in some area blood flow, remained up by 40% even after exercise.
Mild exercise can improve our immune system by increasing the production of essential proteins and waking up lazy white blood cells.
Cycling to work regularly is a remedy for today’s sedentary illnesses: it halves your risk of obesity and heart disease. It also halves your risk of cancer, increases your lifespan by a couple of years, and gives you a fitness level equal to someone ten years younger.
Women who walk or bike 30 minutes a day have a lower risk of breast cancer.
Apart from in the most extremely polluted environments, the health benefits attained from travelling actively far outweigh the harms caused by air pollution.