Cycling and walking to work can reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and death.

!--:page title" -- As many countries ease the blockade and more people return to work, efforts are being made to restrict the use of public transportation to avoid further spread of COVID-19It seems clear that we should encourage more people to switch to physical activity, such as walking or cycling wherever possible, rather than driving more polluted cars to block roadsBut active commuting not only helps limit the spread and emissions of the virusOur latest study finds that people who walk and cycle to work have a lower risk of death or serious illness than those who drive to workIt is well known that many people do not exercise enough, which is related to the deaths of 3.2 to 5.3 million people worldwide each yearWe know that active exercise has many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and even depressionActive commuting is a major potential source of daily physical activity, and it can also include planned workouts and even home activities such as cleaningBut in England and Wales, about 34 per cent of men and 42 per cent of women lack enough exercise, and the proportion of people walking and cycling has fallen for 40 yearsMotor vehicles are also the most common form of workPhoto Source: Researchers used census data from more than 300,000 commuters in England and Wales to investigate the health effects of walking, cycling, using public transport or driving to workParticipants were followed for 25 years to compare cardiovascular disease (including heart attacks and strokes) with cancer mortality, as well as new cancer diagnosesHealth benefits Researchers found that people who cycled to work had a 20 percent lower risk of death compared to those who drove to workThey had a 24 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 16 percent lower risk of dying from cancerThey were 11 percent less likely to be diagnosed with cancerThis conclusion is still true after taking into account other factors, such as age, gender, car accessibility, race and socio-economic groupsWalking to work reduced the risk of cancer by 7% compared to drivingHowever, the impact of walking to work on cancer and heart disease mortality is unclear This may be because the average wealth of people who walk to work, as observed by the researchers, is lower and more likely to be chronically ill, which may offset the positive impact of walking However, the data may not have enough detail to fully capture these differences The researchers also found that people who commuted by train had a 10 percent lower risk of death compared to those who drove to work Their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease was reduced by 21 percent and their risk of being diagnosed with cancer was 12 percent lower This may be because many people who commute by train need to walk or cycle to the transit station The researchers' data again suggest that people who commute by train tend to be wealthier and less likely to have other potential health problems that may not be fully taken into account in the analysis The study also looked at the differences in the benefits of active commuting between occupations, comparing those in higher management or professional positions, in more junior or middle-level positions, and in manual labour The researchers found similar potential health benefits for these populations Photo Source: We know that there is inequality in health and travel patterns between socio-economic groups This study shows that promoting active travel may bring positive health benefits regardless of background or occupation While many people can't walk or cycle on the way to and from work, it may be helpful to incorporate some positive travel during the journey Many trips by public transport have also been shown to include walking and cycling, and its use is related to lower body fat In the UK, as in other parts of the world, the government is broadly supportive of active tourism as people start to return to work If this reduces the number of times you drive to and from work in the long run, it can reduce the length of sitting in adults and improve their overall health It may even bring other benefits, such as improving air quality () References: Cycling and Walking to work downs of risk cancer, heart disease and research physical activity - new research physical activity y accrued as spart of the public smuse Data census over 25 years in England and Wales: a cohort study walking, cycling and driving to work in the English and The Welsh 2011 Census: Trends, Socio-Economic Patterning and Quito to Behaviour in General Health Survey for England 2016 Physical Activity in adults !--/eWeb !-- progress, pitfalls, and prospect !--/ewebeditor: page.