Living in a big city has innumerable advantages, but in turn it can be stressful. Traffic and traffic jams, noise or pollution can make the simple fact of moving almost an odyssey. Therefore, from the different government institutions are increasingly working on urban regeneration with the creation of new bike lanes or the extension of sidewalks to favor pedestrian traffic. Reduce the use of motor vehicles and promote active displacement - that is, go by bike or walking - it can be a simple strategy to increase the level of physical activity and, therefore, reduce the negative consequences associated with the inactive behaviors that They involve going by car, motorcycle or bus.
Active transport prevents the main chronic diseases
And it is that moving by bike will save us the long waiting times to take the bus or the uncomfortable traffic jams when we go by car, we will reduce pollution and, in addition, scientific evidence has been resounding in terms of the benefits that active displacement provides for health. Thus, a study published in the British Medical Journal with more than 260,000 participants and a 5 -year follow -up said that going to work by bicycle was related to 41% less risk of death than when the displacement was by car or public transport ( 1). Specifically, bike to work accounted for 52% and 40% less risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, respectively. In addition, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease or cancer was 46% and 45%, respectively, among those who moved by bike compared to those who did it by car or public transport (1). And even those who went by bike to work but during the rest of the day they were inactive had 24% less risk of death in general, 36% less die of cancer and 32% less to develop this disease with respect to those who They moved by motor vehicle and were inactive. Beyond the amazing results, one of the strengths of the study is that it was carried out in the town of the United Kingdom, among which the idea of going to bicycle work is not entrenched, unlike what happens in the Nordic or China countries , in which culture and infrastructure facilitate this fact (1).
In the same context, a large -scale study that had more than 43 million participants also from the United Kingdom and in which the Brownlee brothers participated as authors, both Olympic medalists in triathlon, associated go to work by bicycle or walking with a lower probability of suffering a heart attack (2). In addition, the least risk of heart attack between those who took the bike or were walking to work remained independent of other risk factors such as obesity, the level of physical activity, smoking and diabetes. However, despite the tremendously positive effects that seem to be inferred from the active displacement among the British population, only 11% of the 43 million subjects who participated in the study claimed to move by bike or walking to go to work (2).
A recent study published in Lancet has gone further and analyzed the health of about 400,000 people for 25 years (3). The researchers belonging to Imperial College of London observed that bike to work reduced the global premature mortality rate, 24% and 16%, respectively, the associated with cardiovascular diseases and cancer, and 11% Incidence of cancer compared to those that moved by car. And although walking to work did not produce such a positive impact on people's health, an important finding of the study was that those who moved in public transport - and therefore had to walk to the stations - they saw reduced by 10% The overall premature death rate and 20% related to cardiovascular diseases, in addition to 12% the incidence of cancer (3).
Mental health benefits
And obviously it is expected that the stress situations that we would save us when losing sight of the jams, noise or waiting, would result in better mental health. This is confirmed by a recent study led by researchers from the Global Health Institute of Barcelona, which revealed that people who went by bike to work or their place of study at least once a week had 20% less risk of suffering stress than those that used a conventional means of transport (4). In addition, the risk of stress was lower in those who moved by bike 4 or more days a week compared to those who did it less than 4 times. Another interesting result of the study was that the risk of stress was lower as long as the environment facilitated active displacement (eg, existence of parkings for nearby bicycles and bike lanes to places of destination).
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Conclusions
Therefore, the promotion of active displacement (eg, construction of bike lanes, extension of sidewalks or pedestrianization of some streets) must be a priority objective for every government in order to reduce the level of sedentary lifestyle and, with it, improve Physical and mental health among the population, in addition to reducing the number of motorized vehicles in circulation and achieving healthier and sustainable cities. The numerous health benefits evidenced in scientific literature leave no doubt, but also in the current state in which we are, the bicycle and walk would be the ideal means of transport to maintain social distancing so necessary to not transmit The virus In short, if we want to live more and better, without noise, contamination or jams, the bike or the sneakers seem to be the best solution.
References:
1. Celis-Morales CA, Lyall DM, Welsh P, Anderson J, Steell L, Guo and, Maldonado R, Mackay DF, Pell JP, Sattar N, Gill JMR. Association Between Active Commining and Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and Mortality: Prospective Cohort Study. BMJ. 2017; 357: J1456.
2. Munyombwe T, Lovelace R, Green M, Norman P, Walpole S, Hall M, Timmis A, Batin P, Brownlee A, Brownlee J, Oliver G, Gale CP. Association of Prevalence of Active Transport to Work and Incidential of Myocardial Infarcion: A Nationwide Ecological Study. EUR J Prev Cardiol. 2020; 27 (8): 822-829.
3. Patterson R, Panto J, Let's go EP, Cummins S, Millett C, Laverty AA. Associations Between Commute Mode and Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and All-Cause Mortality, and Cancer Insence, Using Linked Census Data Over 25 Years in England and Wales: A Cohort Study. Lancet Planet Health. 2020; 4 (5): E186-E194.
4. Avila-Palencia I, from Nazelle A, Cole-Hunter T, Donaire-Gonzalez D, Jerrett M, Rodriguez da, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ. The Relationship Between Bicycle Commuting and Perceced Stress: A Cross-Sectional Study. BMJ Open. 2017; 7 (6): E013542.