We all know that commuting to work on a bicycle is a lot healthier than driving or catching public transport but an American survey recently published has reaffirmed that bicycle commuters are the healthiest.
The study published in the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology found that in Britain those who drove to work had higher body fat percentages and BMI’s than those who commuted via other methods such as walking or biking. The study also found that men who cycled to work had on average 2 BMI points below and were 11 pounds lighter than those who drove to work. And it was a similar story with the women who cycled as they were on average 1.65 BMI points lower and 10 pounds lighter than their driving counterparts. The study was conducted on 157,000 middle aged British adults between 2006 and 2010.
Not only does bicycle commuting have health benefits but you will be doing your bit to save the environment and up your green contribution. Nearly a quarter of the UK’s CO2 emission come from road transport with vehicles giving out 70% of air pollution in our towns and cities. Therefore, if we decide to leave the car at home once or twice a week our contribution will be significantly reduced. Not to mention reduce traffic in and out of our major towns and cities. BikeRadar found that if everyone in England whose commute was under 5 miles cycled to work, a collective 44,000 tonnes less of C02 would be emitted into the environment!
And it’s also worth mentioning, you’ll be saving money as well in the process! Even owners of a fuel efficient car such as a Citroen C2 will average a spend of £3745.60 a year on commuting to work. Therefore, cycling to work even just a couple of times a week will give you a hefty saving to put towards something more thrilling than petrol!
So not only does choosing to commute by bike save your health but also the environment and your money too! We can’t think of any better reason to leave your car at home and get on your bike. If only for a couple of days in the week, you’ll feel the benefits immediately.
If you need insurance for you and your bicycle you can get a comprehensive and competitive insurance quote here.
Happy Commuting!