Chris Else

Take some advice from Chris Else and get on your bike to help boost your activity levels and reduce your everyday stress.

Like many Scots, Chris has to commute to work every day. Until recently, his commute involved driving all the way from his home in Polmont to the office in Edinburgh.

However, the journey was regularly slowed by traffic and he often found himself stuck in the car in a long queue of vehicles. Frustrated with having to endure slow and exasperating traffic, he decided to incorporate cycling into his daily routine and now bikes several miles each day.

Chris, 36, said: "Getting stuck in the morning traffic is such a pain, and you can be queued for ages. So I thought I'd use my folding bike and cycle from home to the station and back again at the end of the day. It makes me feel a bit healthier and it's more environmentally friendly.

"By taking the bike in the mornings I find myself less stressed than I would be driving, and I'm more likely to be on time with the bike!"

By changing his daily routine Chris is having a positive influence on his activity levels but also on his three sons, Jonathan (13), Timothy (five) and Blair (five months).

Chris added: "I think that if you make an effort to be active you're kids will be too. If they see you lazing about on the couch all day they're more likely to copy that themselves.

"Each morning I'll take my bike out and the kids all walk to the bus stop for school. At the weekends we like to go out for walks and bike rides together.

"My eldest, Jonathan, is starting to become really keen on mountain biking. It's good to encourage these activities so we tend to go out cycling together as a family... although it'll be a while before Blair's ready for his own bike!"

Increasingly, many employers are taking part in the Government's cycle2work scheme, which helps employees acquire a bike and safety accessories for cycling to work at a discounted price. Speak to your employer to find out if they're part of the scheme.