LIFESTYLE
LET’S GO
TEES
VALLEY!
For a calmer mind
in a hectic world get
back on your bike
"Regular cycling brings with it a
host of benefits including improved
fitness, reduced stress, better sleep
and increased energy."
R
emember the thrill of riding your
bike when you were little? Speeding
around with friends and freewheeling
down hills without a care in the world?
Let’s Go Tees Valley is encouraging
people across the Tees Valley to recapture
that feeling by dusting off their bicycles and
making more of their everyday journeys on
two wheels instead of four.
The Let’s Go Ladies campaign has been
designed to get more people back in the
saddle safely and confidently and using their
bikes for those everyday journeys, such
as the daily commute to and from work,
popping to the shops or the school run.
Regular cycling brings with it a host of
benefits including improved fitness, reduced
stress, better sleep and increased energy.
Philippa, 43, from Darlington, credits
cycling with helping to get her spark back
after a painful period in her personal life.
Philippa said: “I first started getting into
cycling in the summer of 2016. It was after
my marriage broke down and I wasn’t in a
good place. I was a little bit overweight and a
bit lost. I hadn’t cycled in years!
“The biggest thing for me has been the
benefits in terms of my mental health and
wellbeing. I don’t know where I would be if I
hadn’t have done it. I’ve used riding my bike
as a springboard for my health – both mental
and physical.
“On your bike you’re part of your
surroundings and you take so much more
in.”
Christine, 61, from Stockton, has always
been a keen cyclist and working in a school
has meant that she has been able to share her
love of two wheels with pupils and parents
alike. She’s even spotted some more unusual
local wildlife on the way to work.
She said: “Parents and carers do a lot of
journeys to different places during a given
day, which may be why they may feel that
they can’t cycle.
“But it is a great way to get around with
kids, though, and it’s so easy when you know
the best routes to take.
“I love to ride along the river when the
weather is good. I’ve even seen seals on my
way to work.”
To help rediscover your cycling mojo
this summer and beyond visit the Let’s
Go Ladies pages at letsgoteesvalley.co.uk,
where you will find a wealth of information
including dates and times of guided rides
and maintenance workshops, downloadable
maps for cycle rides that take advantage of
more than 700km of dedicated cycle paths
across Tees Valley and real stories from those
who have found that small changes make a
big difference in helping them enjoy a calmer
mind in a hectic world.
letsgoteesvalley.co.uk
tees-life.co.uk
27