Q1: Why is cycling so healthy? Cycling reduces the chance of suffering from lifethreatening diseases and its health benefits far outweigh the risks. A famous 1990s’ calculation suggested that the paybacks (life years gained) outweighed the risks (life years lost) of cycling by around 20:1 (GB).1 The ratio is probably higher nowadays, given the drop in cyclists hurt per billion miles since then.2 Exercise is good for you, after all,3 and cycling is a particularly convenient and advantageous way for people of all ages to meet NHS exercise guidelines4 because you can travel around very economically at the same time – cycle to school or work, for example: • • • •
Physical activity reduces the risk of developing serious conditions that are costly to treat, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer.5 Increased walking and cycling in England could save 1,189 people from early deaths each year6 – no wonder GPs are prescribing active travel.7 Compared to commuting by car, cycling is associated with a lower chance of dying from cardiovascular disease (-24%) and cancer (-16%).8 For urban commuters shifting from driving to cycling, on average the health benefits are “about 9 times larger than the risks”.9
Exercising also helps guard against putting on too much weight: • •
How many calories cycling uses up depends on your age, weight etc., but on average it burns around five calories a minute. According to a study that followed 8,000 school children over a period of years, children who walk or cycle to school may have a healthier body weight than those who arrive by car.10
Hillman, M. Cycling – more life years gained from fitness than lost from injury. 1992. See Q16 of Cycling UK’s Cycling Statistics. 3 Public Health England. Health matters. 2020. 4 nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-guidelines/ 5 nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-health-benefits/ 6 Health Foundation. Health benefits of active travel: preventable early deaths. 2021. 7 West Midlands Combined Authority press release, 24 September 2021. 8 Patterson R et al. Associations between commute mode and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and allcause mortality, and cancer incidence, using linked Census data over 25 years in England and Wales: a cohort study. 2020. 9 De Hartog J et al. Do the health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks? 2010. 10 NIHR. Schoolchildren who switch to walking or cycling may have a healthier body weight. 2021. 1 2
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