Bike Commuting Could Save Your Life

Associations between commute mode and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality, and cancer incidence, using linked Census data over 25 years in England and Wales: a cohort study
THE LANCET

During the pandemic my commute went from a 2.5 mile bike ride to a 2.5 second walk to my desk. Sure, my morning isn’t as wet, but I also lost my main motivation to get up and get moving. I commute by bike simply because I enjoy biking, but seeing this research is validating and makes me want to shout from the rooftop that you too can move to reduce mortality. #movementovermortality

Get this–census participation is a legal requirement in the UK, providing a good opportunity to snoop on commuting habits and then compare the results with what’s killing people. This study looked at data from 394,746 commuters between 1991 and 2001. Jut 3% braved the bike lane.

When compared to car-commuters, bikers had some jaw-dropping health stats: 20% reduced rate of early death, 24% reduced rate of death from cardiovascular disease during the study period, a 16% reduced rate of death from cancer, and an 11% reduced rate of a cancer diagnosis. Walking to work was associated with a 7% reduced rate in cancer diagnosis.

This study doesn’t take into account the participant’s diet, smoking, other physical activity or underlying health conditions, so no, it’s not perfect. It also fails to mention the very real possibility of being hit by a van, but hey, that doesn’t come close to the risk of being one of the 100 people who die every day in a car accident in the US.

TAKEAWAY
Commuting to work by bike is associated with reduced all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence, and cancer mortality. Walking to work is associated with decreased cardiovascular disease. Even taking the train puts you at a better health advantage than driving. If a crowded bus in post-pandemic America sounds alarming then it might be time to swap four wheels for two (or two feet).