Melissa Brown feels that now, more than ever, riding a bicycle is a good idea.

The chronic disease prevention coordinator for the Jefferson County Health Department sees riding as a way to get around and exercise at the same time.

Brown bikes in her personal life and promotes the activity as part of her job. Her efforts include helping organize and run Get Moving Twin Cities, a project to improve people's health funded by the Missouri Foundation for Health. Biking is an important aspect of Get Moving Twin Cities, which is based in the Festus-Crystal City area.

Get Moving Twin Cities activities have included "Bike Trains," an effort to have students ride bikes as a group with adult supervision to and from school once a week in good weather, and community bike ride events.

The Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation took note of Brown's efforts and in April made her one of 13 Missouri residents to receive the group's Friends of Bicycling Award for 2011.

Brown, 27, and her husband, Matthew, live in South St. Louis and are expecting their first child in July.

She recently spoke of her professional and personal interest in bicycle riding.

Question: Why are you such a proponent of bicycle riding?

Answer: Basically, it's a way to get around where you're getting some physical activity at the same time. You also save gas money and it's better for the environment. It's just a really fun way to get around compared to being in a car.

Q: Where is your favorite place to ride?

A: I like riding anywhere, but I mostly ride around the city of St. Louis and use bikes for transportation. It saves me gas.

Q: How old is your bike and what kind is it?

A: I actually have two bikes. I have a Schwinn Voyageur that's, maybe, five years old. The other one is a Kona Jake that's two years old. I like them both.

Q: How are you promoting physical activities at this time?

A: Get Moving Twin Cities is still going on. We would like to spread it to other cities in Jefferson County. We've seen some interest in Herculaneum and Pevely. I would like to see more participation. At our first community bike ride last October, we had 30 riders.

Q: What is the best way to be safe while bicycling?

A: Know and follow the rules of the road and ride a safe bike. We encourage people to wear helmets. Kids in our Bike Train program are given helmets. We plan to have a Bike Safety Rodeo in September as part of Twin City Days. We'll be doing safety education and also will be giving out helmets.

Q: After all of the national "get healthy" campaigns, do you feel people are getting any healthier?

A: I think progress is slow.

Q: What is your best advice for someone looking to get healthy?

A: Look for ways where you can build physical activity into your daily life. Ride or walk for short errands. Eat better. Do family activities where you're active with your kids.

Q: How do you feel about winning your Friends of Bicycling Award?

A: It was unexpected. I was nominated. I appreciate the award and also want to acknowledge the other people who have helped with the program. It's not a one-person show.