Q1: Why is cycling so healthy?

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

1 Hillman, M. Cycling – more life years gained from fitness than lost from injury. 1992. 2 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.

What’s more, cycling’s health benefits are of considerable financial value, and they could reduce the NHS’s huge outlay on treating preventable disease:

• The health benefits of cycling were estimated to be £1,056,598,000 in 2015 – it’s probably more than that now.

11 • The NHS spent around £6.1 billion treating diseases related to being overweight or obese in 2014/15.12

To put the risks of injury in perspective, on average a year from 2015-19 (GB):

• Over a distance equivalent to 1,000 journeys round the world at its widest point, one cyclist was killed and 33 cyclists killed or seriously injured.13 • The general risk of injury of any severity whilst cycling is just 0.045 per 1,000 hours of cycling. (Over three-quarters of these injuries are slight).14

Also, the more people who cycle, the safer it is likely to become, given the right conditions – the ‘safety in numbers effect’15. This may be because drivers grow more accustomed to seeing cyclists about, interacting with them and sharing space safely. They may also be more likely to cycle and have a better grasp of cyclists’ needs.

And we haven’t even mentioned the fact that cycling doesn’t produce nasty exhaust fumes16 for other people and car occupants to breathe in, or gases that contribute to climate change, one of the biggest health threats facing humanity.17

11 SQW for the Bicycle Association. The economic value of the bicycle industry and cycling in the United Kingdom. 2017. 12 Health matters: obesity and the food environment. Public Health England. 2017. 13 DfT. Reported Road Casualties Great Britain, Table RAS30001; Road traffic estimates, Table TRA0402 14 DfT. Reported Road Casualties GB, (link above) & National Travel Survey Table NTS0303. 15 Analysing the ‘Safety in Numbers’ Effect in England. Road Safety Analysis. 2016. 16 RAC. A guide to vehicle exhaust emissions. 2020. 17 WHO. Climate Change and health. 2021. See also Cycling UK’s Cycling fights climate change brochure.