Cycling to work could cut risk of cancer by 45%
Researchers from the University of Glasgow found that cycling and walking to work might have more benefits on our health than we think.
The study was published on Thursday in the BMJ and it found that riding a bike to work is connected to a 45% lower risk of cancer and 46% lower risk of heart disease. In a news release on Thursday, the university said that the data of over 264,000 people from the UK Biobank project was analyzed, with participants being asked about the way they went to work and contact mantained with them for five years, according to CNBC.
In the span of five years, new cases of heart attacks, cancer and deaths were assessed and “related to their mode of commuting“. The results were of great interest.
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“Cycling all or part of the way to work was associated with substantially lower risk of adverse health outcomes,” Jason Gill, from the university’s Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, said in a statement.”Those who cycled the full length of their commute had an over 40 percent lower risk of heart disease, cancer and overall mortality over the 5 years of follow-up.”
According to the World Health Organization, 8.8 million people died from cancer in 2015 and 30 to 50 percent of cancers could be prevented by regular exercise, a healthy body weight and cutting alcohol consumption.
The study made by the University of Glasgow proved that walking to work may also be beneficial. Yet cycling proved to be better in some aspects.
“Walking to work was associated with lower risk of heart disease, but unlike cycling was not associated with a significantly lower risk of cancer or overall death,” the university’s Carlos Celis-Morales said.
“This may be because walkers commuted shorter distances than cyclists – typically 6 miles per week, compared with 30 miles per week – and walking is generally a lower intensity of exercise than cycling.”
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