Bike a Major Artery

Grab your bicycle and your helmet to Bike a Major Artery on October 11, 2009 to help save women's lives and reduce the #1 killer of women in the United States. (Nearly 330,000 women died of heart disease in 2005 according to the CDC.)

This family friendly event offers several different ways to participate:

* America's Main Streeter-A rare chance to ride by the U.S. Capitol and White House unimpeded. Children are welcome on this 5-mile ride.
* Heart-of-the-Nation Time Trial: A timed 5-mile race.
* Arena Spinathon- Don't have a bike? Try this unique spinning class on the floor of the Verizon Center.
* BIKE FOR THE HEART Festival: This festival features activities for kids (including the Toddler Trike Race) and circus-style entertainment.

If you can not make it to the event, you can make a donation online to help fund heart screenings, education and empowerment for women.

This event is sponsored by Sister to Sister: The Women's Heart Health Foundation.

Healthy Out of Town Travel

When you are headed out of town and want to make your trip a little healthier, there is a website that will show you where to go to rent a bike. Rentabikenow.com is an easy to use resource. All you need to know is the zip code where you will be staying, and you can reserve a bike at a bike shop close by. It does not tell you if your hotel offers wheels to rent or not, however. Try it on your next trip and let us know how it goes!

Ride and Seek

Looking for a good way to burn calories and get in shape this summer? Try biking! It was a lot of fun when we were kids (Ok, I grew up in Pittsburgh so "biking" consisted mostly of walking my bike up a huge hill and riding down, but whatever, it was fun), and it is still a great way to get in shape now.

The April 14th edition of the Washington Post Express gave five great reasons why you should take up biking again:
1) You will burn a ton of calories-at a relaxed pace, a 130-pound woman can burn up to 473 calories per hour. The amount of calories burned will increase the faster you pedal.
2) It gives your joints a break-cycling is low-impact so it is good for anyone with knee problems and is a good alternative for runners.
3) Your legs will get toned-Your quads (front of thighs) and calves get a good workout when you bike.
4) You will bust the blues-British researchers have found that 71% of people who exercise outdoors said they felt less tense afterwards.
5) You will become a better driver-When you ride a bike, you use your entire body and mind. This will transfer to the steering wheel, and you will become more aware of everything around you.

Another good reason: Think of all the money you will save in gas if you bike to work or to run errands.

On that note, here is a good way to get started. May 14th is National Bike to Work Day. This is a great day to get started with adding a little biking to your fitness routine.

You don't have to buy a fancy, expensive bike. Start simple. You can purchase a bike from Target or Sports Authority for a reasonable price. Check out your neighborhood yard sale or Craigslist for a second hand bike.

Washington DC now has the Smartbike Program, which is a self-service public bike rental program. These bikes are good for running local errands.

So you have 10 days to get ready for Bike to Work Day. What is your plan?