Biking is good for business

I read with great interest an article "How biking can help a company's bottom line" in today's Star Tribune. The benefits of providing a bike/run/walk friendly workplace include healthier, happier and more productive employees plus reduced employee expenses related to transportation.

To encourage and accommodate foot/bike traffic the workplace of Colle+McVoy added showers and lockers for employees. They also provided subsidies for employee purchases of bicycles and places to store bikes at the office.  Not only that, they have their own in house masseuse and yoga!  These benefits have attracted bright and capable employees and new customers for their advertising business.

In addition to the monetary and ecological benefits related to biking, there are also immeasurable psychic rewards that come with exercise and fresh air.  In 1980 I wrote a senior paper for college on "Changes in affective states as related to physical activity."  Aerobic exercise produces endorphins, which provide an elevated state in one's mood. In addition to stress reduction I've also discovered a much greater degree of creativity comes when I'm physically active.  It seems the mind gets freed up to think outside of the box when the body gets moving.

Twin Cities commuter challenge

Christine Fruechte, the President and CEO of Colle+McVoy, concludes her commentary with the following "... fueling the soul fuels the bottom line."  I hope this article inspires more business leaders to make their workplaces biker/walker/runner friendly.

This week many businesses are taking part in the communter challenge, encouraging their employees to find alternative means of getting to work by means other than traveling alone in a car.