Physical health benefits of choosing an active commute.

Cycling is a great form of physical activity and can greatly reduce your risk of major killers including heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes and dementia. Research shows an increased life expectancy of cyclists compared to non-cyclists(1).

Recent studies have found that on average only 1 in 20 adults achieve the minimum recommended 150 weekly minutes of exercise(2). That means 96% of the UK’s population aren’t getting enough regular exercise! A lack of adequate exercise can make people prone to health issues and weight gain, and could save the NHS around £17 billion within twenty years(3). 

Of course, this is no reason to point the finger. There are numerous factors which can make getting enough daily exercise tricky; family, demanding work schedules, access to green space and gyms - the list goes on. However, swapping out regular journeys taken by car or public transport for active travel can be an easy way to get moving without having to set aside work out time. For example; cycling only 30 minutes to and from work each day is enough to achieve the higher recommended target of 300 minutes per week - doing it once every other day would hit your 150. And walking or running to work will do you even more good.

Sometimes it can be daunting to start making changes to your routines, but it’s important to know you’re not alone. Taking the initial move and setting intent is the most important step. The Stride and Ride community offers a safe space for people of all different abilities to share their experiences and learn more about active transport. Switch up routes to keep it interesting and enjoy the journey.

women_on_bicycle.jpg

  1. Anderson, L.B., Schnohr, P., Schroll, M. and Hein, H.O. (2000) All-Cause Mortality Associated With Physical Activity During Leisure Time, Work, Sports, and Cycling to Work, Archives of Internal Medicine 160(11): 1621- 1628

  2. Health and Social Care Information Centre (2014) Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet. England.

  3. Jarrett, J., Woodcock, J., Griffith, U.K., Chalabi, Z., Edwards, P., Roberts, I. and Haines, A. (2012) Effect of increasing active travel in urban England and Wales on costs to the National Health Service. Lancet 379(9832): 2198–2205