By Wendy

Happy Friday everyone! The weekend is finally here. What are your plans this weekend? Taking the kids to the mall? Or maybe going out to watch the latest movie? Why not change up your routine and go out for a bike ride. Now that summer is here, it’s finally nice enough where you don’t have to drive the car to get to every destination.

Here are 5 reasons why to pick up your bikes and start riding:

1- All Over Workout: since roads often have twists, turns and hills to climb, bicycling allows your entire body to get a work out- from your arms, legs, and even your abs. Bike for 30 minutes to an hour and you’ll definitely find yourself working up a sweat and muscles working it.

2- You Can Do It Anywhere: biking riding is one of those things you can enjoy just about anywhere. All you need it a bike, a helmet, and some road.Visit BikeGeeky.com for the guideline & resources you need to pick your riding gears. Start taking short rides around the neighborhood to build up your confidence. Then you can start doing more exploring around your area. You never know what you may encounter on your bike.

3- Relieves Stress: exercise, whether it’s biking, running, or dancing, can help reduce your stress level and any symptoms of depression, while also improving your self esteem, you can improve your weight and use an appetite suppressant supplement for more results. The better you feel about yourself and life, the more productive you can be at home, at work, and to your family.

4- Decreases Your Gas Emission: whether you’re taking a bike ride to the park or to grab for few things from the grocery store, riding your bike instead of driving your car will help lower gas emissions. Do this a few times a week and you’ll not only be environmentally friendly, but also save up some money for that family vacation or some other big ticket item you were hoping to purchase in the near future.

5- Fun for All Ages: no matter what age you are, twenty or sixty, bike riding just makes you feel like a kid again. The speed you feel when you’re on a bike, the freedom you feel on an open road, the wind tousling your hair, it’s great a great feeling.

Bicycling outdoors is also a great way to get closer to Mother Nature and all the beauty this planet has to offer us. So go for that bike ride this weekend! Not only is it good for the environment, it’s also great for your health and your wallet.

What’s your favorite thing about bike riding?

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Wendy Yu is a digital marketing professional living in New York City. When she’s not using the power of social media to share ideas on how to be more environmentally friendly, she is exploring the city, trying local foods, and learning more about how she can reduce her carbon footprint.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Green Halloween® or our partners.

Family Fun magazine’s ideas for {healthy} Halloween fare are sure to be a hit with little ghouls and boys.

These dishes also double as edible dECOr, saving resources and money.

Invite kids to get crafty during your Halloween party – and you’ve just added an edible “activity” as well.

Meow! Use veggies and bean dip to make Black Bean Cat Crudités.

Ghastly grins! Apples and almonds are all that’s required for these “Apple Bites.” You could also fill “mouths” with nut butter and make the “teeth” out of all-natural white chocolate chips.

Finger food! “Carrot Fingers” reach out of veggie dip. Ew… Yum.

Eat your eyeballs – er, veggies! With “Edible Eyeballs” you can do both (and of course, munching on carrots is good for your kids’ peepers!)

Marvelous monsters! “Swamp Creatures” are made with scoops of mac & cheese, but you can also make with potato salad, quinoa salad or any other “salad” that holds together well. Swamp sludge can be made with spinach, kale, collards or a combo sauteed greens. A great dish to serve to filler-er-up before trick-or-treating.

Stick our your tongue! Simple but fun, these “Goblin Grins” are sure to cause smiles all around.

Yummy Mummies! These cute little “Pizza Mummies” Are a great main dish. Use English muffins or bagels (also available in gluten free!)

TIP: Always choose local & organic ingredients, whenever possible. However, if you want to know which foods carry the heaviest pesticide loads (many are on this list) and which are safer to buy conventionally grown, click to find “The Dirty Dozen” and “The Clean Fifteen.”

For more even more healthy Halloween food ideas, click here. And for Family Fun’s top craft ideas, click here and here.