Cycling: For Your Physical Health

Cycling for a few minutes a day, a few times a week will help you live happier, live healthier, and live longer:

• Active commuting that incorporates cycling and walking is associated with an overall 11% reduction in cardiovascular risk.

• Women who walk or bike 30+ minutes a day have a lower risk of breast cancer.

• 82% of bicycle commuters believe their health has improved since they started bicycle commuting.

• Lifestyle physical activity [like biking for transportation] is as effective as a structured exercise program in improving physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and blood pressure in previously sedentary healthy adults.

• Men and women who bicycle or walk to work are significantly less likely to be overweight and obese.

• Children who ride a bike two or more times a week are less likely to be overweight.

• Adolescents who participate in bicycling, in-line skating, or skateboarding more than four times a week are 48% less likely to be overweight as adults.

• Youths who regularly bike or walk to leisure-time activities have better low back strength, low back extension, hip flexion, and exension than those who ride a school bus.

Sources:

• Hamer, M., and Y. Chida, 2007, Active commuting and cardiovascular risk: A meta-analytic review, Preventive Medicine, 46, 9-13

• Luoto, R., et al., 2000, The effect of physical activity on breast cancer risk: A cohort study of 30,548 women, European Journal of Epidemiology, 16, 973-80

• Moritz, W., 1997, Survey of North American bicycle commuters: Design and aggregate results, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 1578, 91-10

• Dunn, A., et al., 1999, Comparison of lifestyle and structured interventions to increase physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness: a randomized trial, JAMA, 281, 327-34

• Lindstrom, M., 2007, Means of transportation to work and overweight and obesity: A population-based study in southern Sweden, Preventive Medicine, 46, 22-28

• Dudas, R., and M. Crocetti, 2008, Association of bicycling and childhood overweight status, Ambulatory Pediatrics, 8, 392-395

• Menschik, D., et al., 2008, Adolescent physical activities as predictors of young adult weight, Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 162, 23-28

-Sjolie, A., 2000, Access to pedestrian roads, daily activities, and physical performance of adolescents, Spine, 25, 1965-72