Bike to Work and Live Longer

A large scale study conducted in the U.K. shows biking to work leads to a longer life, despite dangers on the roads.

1 minute read

May 16, 2018, 9:00 AM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


A study of 260,000 commuters in the United Kingdom found that biking to work can extend your life. "Overall mortality among bike commuters is significantly lower than among people who don’t bike or walk to work, according to a robust study recently published in the British Medical Journal," writes Angie Schmitt.

The differences in mortality were consistent, even controlling for variables like sex, income, smoking, and more. The study also found correlations between commuting style and certain conditions. "Among bike commuters, the likelihood of contracting or dying from heart disease was about half that of sedentary commuters. Bike commuters were also 45 percent less likely to contract cancer and 40 percent less likely to die from it," Schmitt reports.

Thursday, May 3, 2018 in Streetsblog USA

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

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