bike to work: Coopers Took to the Saddle

In May and June, we took on an exciting challenge: We took to the saddle for the largest health and bike promotion campaign in Switzerland: bike to work by Pro Velo Schweiz. Every kilometer mattered, whether on an e-bike or without a motor, as well as partial trips in combination with local public transport.

The challenge is designed to motivate people to bike to work more often. Anyone who bikes on at least 50% of their working days automatically enters a prize draw for attractive rewards, which adds some extra motivation. The winners were announced today, July 9, 2024 – well, we didn't win anything, but as we all know, being there matters the most.

3'840 Swiss companies took on the challenge. 109,090 participants covered an impressive total of 27,888,432 kilometers by bike. This corresponds to a saving of 4'016 tons of CO2 (tons!). Wow, kudos to all cyclists for making this contribution to environmental protection.

At Coopers, four teams of four people took part and together covered an impressive 3’932 kilometers over 274 bike days. That way, we got to do something for our own physical as well as mental fitness in our daily work life, plus we contributed to the environment; in line with our new ISO 14001-2015 certification in environmental management: our sustainable mobility saved us an equivalent of 566 kg of CO2 emissions.

Joining bike to work was an enriching experience for all Coopers cyclists. It was fun to push each other and strengthen the team spirit.

We asked Arne, who covered by far the most kilometers of us, what his biggest motivator for biking is. Arne says: "Above all, cycling is good for me, both physically and mentally. And I'm currently training for the Iron Man triathlon, in which cycling is one of the three sporting disciplines."

...no wonder, he blew us away! Congratulations on these great results, dear Coopers colleagues. Also a big thank you to Pro Velo for the great campaign; the bike to work challenge has certainly persuaded many to hop on their bikes during the rainy start to the summer. The increasing participation throughout Switzerland each year shows that together we can make a difference - for ourselves, our organization, and our environment.

Our colleague and fitness instructor Cynthia Villoria has 3 more tips on how to improve your physical health at work without pedaling:

• Whether standing or sitting: Regularly rolling your feet back and forth from your toes to your heels promotes circulation and prevents heavy legs.
• Sit on the backs of your hands (right and left hand under your thighs) and slowly stretch your neck alternately in both directions.
• Whenever possible, use stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. If you like, you can visit the Coopers back office in Basel, where we have lots of stairs.

So, if you are heading to work tomorrow, you might want to consider biking – and/or take a few extra stairs. Enjoy biking and staying fit.

Your Coopers Family

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