With only 58% of South Australian adults meeting the National Physical Activity Guidelines requirements of achieving at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, Ride2Work provides a great opportunity for everyone to rethink their commute on Wednesday 10 November 2021 and beyond.

Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing Chief Executive Kylie Taylor said for many, National Ride2Work Day is a great incentive to start incorporating more activity in their day and may be the start of a lifelong habit.

“Our Active Lives research shows that we’re currently under more pressure to manage our time and finances which often means we’re not finding the time to fit regular exercise into our busy schedules,” Ms Taylor said.

“As the weather warms up and workers return to the office following COVID-induced working from home periods, it’s the perfect time for people to shake up their routines.

“By taking the opportunity to ride to work, it ticks a lot of boxes by incorporating regular physical activity in our lives, saving costs on running a car/car parking and it’s better for the environment too.

“Finding ways to support growth in active transport in SA is part of the State Government’s Game On strategy to get South Australians moving, which has been a priority given the significant health benefits of being physically active, including better physical and mental health, and community connection.”

Someone who has experienced first-hand the significant benefits of riding a bike and is a big supporter of the Ride2Work movement is Australian Paralympic gold medallist Darren Hicks.

Darren used cycling as a way to work through his grief after being involved in a horror freeway crash which resulted in him losing his right leg.

“I had always enjoyed riding my bike as something fun to do,” Mr Hicks said.

“But after the accident, cycling became integral to my recovery as the more I started riding, the more it helped to get my head in a good spot.

“I would love to see as many people as possible jump on their bikes for National Ride2Work Day – cycling has had such a positive impact on my state of mind and I have no doubt that’s something others would experience too.”

As part of its commitment to providing cyclists and pedestrians with safer and smoother paths and trails, the State Government announced in September that a record $3.2 million will be tipped into the State Bicycle Fund grants program in 2021/22 to partially-fund 34 projects across metropolitan and regional SA.

For more information on National Ride2Work Day and for advice on how you can get involved, visit: www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/rides-and-events/ride2work/