Back in 1926 Henry Ford explained in World's Work magazine why he paid his workers the same amount of money for switching to a 40-hour workweek instead of the previous 6-day, 48- hour workweek: "Leisure is an indispensable ingredient in a growing consumer market because working people need to have enough free time to find uses for consumer products, including automobiles?"
Today thanks to the automation of processes, outstanding internet apps and collaborative remote teams, we have the opportunity to work efficiently and to put in some time aside for leisure.
Yet many of us constantly dread Monday and rack our brains whether or not we will rise to the demands of our supervisors, clients or colleagues.
When I catch myself that I work too many hours and that I did not allocate enough time for rest I remember John Lennon's quote, "Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted." My best creative solutions and my most fantastic insights happened during leisure with friends, exercising in nature or having downtime with my favorite journals and books.
Still, it is not only that we may start approaching work as a dreary chore because of our limiting believes and behaviors. The way our communities and cities are organized very often prevents us from getting back to nature and ourselves. Luckily, there are shiny examples around the world which bring back hope that in the heavily industrialized 7-billion planet people of all walks of life can enjoy green oasis alongside the concrete and glass edifices of the 21st century business.
For example, what was the last time you hopped on a bike? You can take up this recreation alone or in the group of bike enthusiasts, in diverse terrains and landscapes, and you can enjoy it with the similar benefits for your cardiovascular system as you do with dancing, walking or running.
Bike lovers have shared that the safest choice for urban people who want to end up in various terrains are hybrid bikes.
Picture this scene: it is sunny morning around 8:30 amid the roadwork in progress next to the Belgrade fair. I was waiting for the green traffic light and next to me a biker started his day very healthy, able to move gracefully through the roadwork. He explained that thanks to hybrid bikes he can commute to and from work, he can bike in specially designed green city areas and if he wants to engage in weekend escapades on the bumpy and less quality roads that is also possible.
The cities that invested in biking infrastructure and supporting biking communities have an additional asset in their tourism offer, targeting the special niche market that invests in their health and wants more from the city than doing business, sightseeing or shopping.
Every two years the multidisciplinary team of Copenhagenize.eu produces a comprehensive report on ranking the most bike-friendly cities world-wide.
In their own words, their team is focused on bicycle culture, planning, traffic and communication, while they research the best biking practices and communities around the globe with the help of human-centered design and social sciences.
The latest 2015 Copenhagenize ranking in collaboration with WIRED magazine brought 122 cities with a population over 600,000 and the complete list of The Most Bike-Friendly Cities can be found here.
Hopefully, this article opened your mind so you can consider biking as cool relaxation that improves your physical and mental health, as well as changing your perspective about urban places and people that surround you. To choose your bike, consult real enthusiasts who got thousands of biking kilometers under their feet.
Let me know in the comments section about your favourite biking routines and places. It does not matter if you are just starting out or you are pro.
Do you feel determined to move to a next chapter in your life, but you are uncertain how to start? To book a coaching session with Milena Milicevic, reach her out at LinkedIn.
Photo credits: Copenhagenize and Elementeight .