Health benefits of pedestrian and cycle commuting

[Arjimlad]

https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/2/1/e001295

17-year-long Scottish study of 82,000+ adults finds commuting by bike reduces your risk of:
• early death
• hospitalisation for any reason
• cardiovascular disease
• cancer mortality
• treatment for mental health problems.

But double the risk of hospitalisation from traffic collisions!

 

[presta]

Health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks from accidents and pollution by 7 to 1:

https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/ehp.0901747

Doing no exercise has roughly the same effect on health as smoking:

https://www.cmaj.ca/content/174/6/801.full

 

[lazybloke]

Health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks from accidents and pollution by 7 to 1:

That's interesting, pollution is something that worries me when gasping lungfulls of diesel fumes.
I've yet to see an environmental impact assessment of EVs that gives an unambiguous consideration to the problems of lithium mining, but the loss of tailpipe emissions is a win for urban cycling.

https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/ehp.0901747

Doing no exercise has roughly the same effect on health as smoking:

😲

https://www.cmaj.ca/content/174/6/801.full

I'm gonna have to read those links

 

[Drago]

Us regular cyclists live, on average, 7 years longer than sedentary car drivers.

 

[All uphill]

Us regular cyclists live, on average, 7 years longer than sedentary car drivers.

And we enjoy our journeys!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Us regular cyclists live, on average, 7 years longer than sedentary car drivers.

More importantly we have much better quality lives. We have on average about a 20 year longer health span.

 

[Drago]

And we get far more sex. Sometimes even with another person.

 

[Baldy]

I haven't found that, but I'm always open to offers!

 

[HLaB]

Us regular cyclists live, on average, 7 years longer than sedentary car drivers.

I think that's got longer since I done my masters 15years ago. It was 5years back then. I guess the sedentary public are getting more sedentary which isn't really surprising!

 

[tyred]

Now that I'm office bound for a few weeks again, it's actually scary to observe how unfit someone of my colleagues actually are - like being out of breath walking from the carpark or going up a flight of stairs. Some of them are younger than I am and think I'm crazy for walking the two miles to work -"Aren't you knackered after walking up that big hill?" Surely the lack of activity will have to catch up with them in the future.

 

[mjr]

Some of them are younger than I am and think I'm crazy for walking the two miles to work -"Aren't you knackered after walking up that big hill?"

The correct answer to which can only ever be "what hill?" 😈 😆

 

[Drago]

Now that I'm office bound for a few weeks again, it's actually scary to observe how unfit someone of my colleagues actually are - like being out of breath walking from the carpark or going up a flight of stairs. Some of them are younger than I am and think I'm crazy for walking the two miles to work -"Aren't you knackered after walking up that big hill?" Surely the lack of activity will have to catch up with them in the future.

When I was BG'ing in the states I lodged about a mile from the office. I enjoyed the stroll, spring/summer sunshine, new country, fairly pleasant rural town, and it only took 20 minutes.

My boss, the contract manager, thought I was bonkers for not taking home the Chevy Suburban I drove at work. I thought he was bonkers for even considering such a thing.

He also thought I was daft for leaving my gun locked in my desk drawer when not at work, but that's for another thread.

 

[All uphill]

Yesterday I discovered a personal benefit from cycling.

I had tests on my lung function and was rather pleased with the results. Various measures assessed me as being anywhere between 113 and 132 per cent of the healthy range for my age.

My lung age was reported as 37 years. I'm 70.

I'll take that.

 

[Drago]

My lung age was reported as 37 years.

Worrying, seeing as the door was only 20!

 

[spen666]

I think that's got longer since I done my masters 15years ago. It was 5years back then. I guess the sedentary public are getting more sedentary which isn't really surprising!

I suspect it will get worse as those who may have walked or occasionally cycled are now using e bikes or e scooters, so becoming even more sedentary