A lot of people hate travelling into work. If you drive, you have got all that traffic to contend with. Then, when you finally get to work, you have to find a park, which can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. If you go by bus or train, you have to fight your way through hoards of other people. By the time you get to work, you are exhausted and certainly not ready to face the day a head. Then one day you look at a map and realise that your train or bus journey covers twice the distance that it needs to and wonder about the environmental impact of that.

You wonder if there is a better way, but resign yourself to the fact that it just one of those things that you have put with if you want to live in a modern, busy society.

But there is a better way! And it is easy that you first thought. Get on your bike! Cycling kills many birds with one stone.

It’s the cheapest option by far. You just need to buy yourself a bike, and your set for years. A good bike is no more than a few hundred pounds.

You are exercising while travelling to work, so you will arrive feeling fit, invigorated and ready to take on the world. Your health should improve, increasing your over feeling of well being. And you cut down your risk of ill health. A recent study has suggested that people who are new to cycling and cycle short distances can decrease their risk of death (mainly from reduced risk of heart disease) by 22%. A Department of Health study has found that cycling a short distance four days a week over a six week period increases aerobic fitness by 11%.

It is the best option for the environment by far. Cycling does not cause any pollution. It reduces congestion on the roads (if you were using a car before), therefore reducing the pollution caused by other cars as well.

And it you will be surprised about how quick it can be! You can zip past the traffic and take the most direct route to work. Once you have cycled for a few weeks, your fitness will improve, which will increase the speed of your trip. A Transport for London study has found that a four mile journey in London takes 40 minutes by car, 30 minutes by public transport and just 22 minutes by bicycle.

So for the good of your health, your pocket and the planet, why not give cycling to work a go?