Pedaling Towards Health: Embracing Cycling for a Vibrant Lifestyle - Angel Chavez

July 24, 2023

We at Silicon Valley Latino continue our push to get our community active especially with the invitation to take a time out of your work day and get out. This week SVL Advisory Board Member Angel Chavez invites us on his cycling tours he takes around the bay area.

Cycling provides a wealth of health benefits that go beyond just physical fitness. It's an activity that encompasses mental fortitude, stress reduction, and even serves as an opportunity for inspiring outdoor photography. As highlighted in the article, staying active and promoting a healthy lifestyle is crucial, especially for communities like our Latino population, which faces higher rates of diabetes and hypertension. Therefore, We highly encourage everyone to consider incorporating cycling or any other physical activity, into their daily routine as an investment in their own well-being and to combat these health challenges. By engaging in regular cycling, you can significantly improve your cardiovascular health and overall quality of life. So, let's get off the couch and embrace a "get outdoors" mentality, making cycling a fun and enjoyable part of our lifestyle!

“Truly enjoyed your latest article on staying active and promoting a healthy lifestyle for our community. As you know, our Latino community, in general, has some of the highest percentage of adults with diabetes and hypertension. Thus, I applaud you and your team at SVL for promoting a “get off the couch” mentality!

It’s not always easy though, as we all have families, work, and other priorities, but I personally encourage others to think of it as an investment in yourself and to make getting outdoors an essential part of your lifestyle. Most important, make it fun and enjoy it with your friends and family!

One activity which I’ve become obsessed with is cycling. It hits on so many ingredients for staying fit and healthy such a physical fitness, mental fortitude, reduced stress, and anxiety, and as an inspiring photographer, the places you get to travel provides an opportunity to take some fantastic pics of your outdoor adventures! In the Bay Area, we are very fortunate to have so many beautiful places to ride including Coyote Hills and Calaveras Road in the Fremont Area; Redwood Road and Pinehurst to the Berkeley Hills for those who enjoy the torture of hill climbs and the very scenic Bay Trails which covers most of the Bay Area with amazing Zen views, and little to no cars. I have included some routes which could be of interest here in the Bay Area from my Strava App (would suggest getting this as they have a nice free version) along with some points of interest on these rides.