Published on 26th April 2017
A new study has found that cycling to work regularly can reduce your risk of developing heart disease and cancer by 40 per cent.
Researchers at the University of Glasgow examined data from 264,337 participants over the course of five years to find out how an active commute can have health benefits.
Those who cycled to work reduced their risk of suffering from cardiovascular problems by 46 per cent, compared to a non-active commute. In addition, those who walked to their workplace cut the risk of developing these kinds of health problems by 27 per cent.
Dr Jason Gill, from the university’s Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, said that these findings suggest it would be worth investing more in encouraging people to cycle to work by providing better cycle routes, offering subsidised bike purchase schemes, and ensuring there is provision for bikes on public transport, among other things.
This comes just weeks after research from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) revealed that more than 20 million adults in the UK are at greater risk of heart disease because of inactive lifestyles.
The Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behaviour Report noted that this is costing the country’s health service £1.2 billion a year.
According to the charity, one in ten premature deaths from coronary heart disease can be attributed to physical inactivity.
Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the BHF, commented: “Levels of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour in the UK remain stubbornly high, and combined these two risk factors present a substantial threat to our cardiovascular health.”
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