HEALTH
The health benefits of cycling have been shown to be a primary reason why many people choose to cycle. A significant proportion of the population do not participate in the necessary levels of physical activity to protect against sedentary lifestyle diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Cycling has been shown to significantly reduce the chance of developing these and other types of disease. Integrating cycling into everyday life, by using the bike as a form of transport has been shown to be a very sustainable method of regular physical activity.
08th Feb 2012
This editorial published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in March 2011 summarises the health benefits and risks of cycling, and describes current controversies and evidence challenges for cycling policy and promotion.
31st Jan 2012
This public health campaign was developed by the Public Health Office at the City of Copenhagen. The poster text translated in English reads: You won’t believe it…You’re safer on the bicycle than on the sofa! Lack of daily exercise is harmful to your health, while physical activity keeps your body healthy. Cycling extends your life – daily exercise for a minimum 30 minutes extends your lifespan by up to five years.
30th Jan 2012
Researchers from the University of Georgia reported in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics in January 2012 that exercise can reduce the symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) in women. The researchers randomly assigned 30 sedentary women diagnosed with GAD to either a control group or six weeks of strength or aerobic exercise training. Exercise training consisted of two sessions a week of either weight lifting or leg cycling exercise. All exercisers demonstrated a significant reduction in worry symptoms and moderate-to-large improvements in other symptoms, such as irritability, feelings of tension, low energy and pain.
30th Jan 2012
Irish researchers Griffin ÉW, Mullally S, Foley C, Warmington SA, O'Mara SM, Kelly AM. report in the journal Physiology and Behaviour in October 2011 that physical activity improves cognitive function in men.
23rd Jan 2012
This research paper by Roger L Mackett and Belinda Brown, Centre for Transport Studies, University College London was released in December 2011. It contains a review of the literature in the field of transport and physical activity. It was funded by the Department for Transport.
22nd Dec 2011
This briefing report by the World Health Organisation in partnership with the Regional Office for the Western Pacific was released in December 2011. It illustrates transport's role in health, describes the challenges facing transport policy-makers and authorities, and identifies areas for potential collaboration between health and transport.
21st Dec 2011
The authors of this 2010 paper, Dafna Merom, Hidde P. van der Ploeg, Grace Corpuz, and Adrian E. Bauma, analysed the continuous Sydney Greater Metropolitan Area Household Travel Survey (1997-2007) in 2009. They found significant increasing trends for all walking indicators and while cycling prevalences were low (<1.5%) they too showed significant increasing trends in all indicators. The authors concluded that transportation surveys can be used to assess the contribution of active travel to changes in physical activity levels assessed by public health surveillance and to identify subgroups for active travel interventions.
19th Dec 2011
This infographic by Jen Rhee was published in December 2011. It provides a visual and engaging representation of the personal health and enconmic benefits of active travel.
14th Dec 2011
This brief report by Erin Devine, Marcus Handmer, Karen Bedford, Chris Rissel and Emily Low was published in the December 2011 edition of the Health Promotion Journal of Australia. It reports on an innovative cycling program for mental health service consumers in the former Sydney South West Area Health Service. Overall, the pilot cycling program appears to have had a positive impact.
30th Nov 2011
This report, published in November 2011 by the Climate Commission, canvasses the direct and indirect health impacts of climate change now and into the future. The health benefits of active travel (walking and cycling) and their ability to contribute to reducing greenhouse emissions are outlined in the independent Commission’s report.
28th Nov 2011
This study, reported in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health in November 2008, examined the relationship between active transportation and obesity rates in different countries. Although the results do not prove causality, they suggest that active transportation could be one of the factors that explain international differences in obesity rates.
24th Nov 2011
This report by Ari Rabl and Audrey de Nazelle was published in the journal Transport Policy in October 2011. There is a growing awareness that significant benefits for our health and environment could be achieved by reducing our use of cars and shifting instead to active transport, i.e. walking and bicycling. This article presents an estimate of the health impacts due to a shift from car to bicycling or walking, by evaluating four effects: the change in exposure to ambient air pollution for the individuals who change their transportation mode, their health benefit, the health benefit for the general population due to reduced pollution and the risk of accidents.
24th Nov 2011
This research report by Grabow ML, Spak SN, Holloway T, Stone Jr. B, Mednick AC, Patz JA was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives in November 2011. The findings suggests that significant health and economic benefits are possible if bicycling replaces short car trips. Less auto dependence in urban areas would also improve health in downwind rural settings.
06th Oct 2011
The Tasmanian Plan for Physical Activity 2011-2021 was released in Febraury 2011 by the Premier’s Physical Activity Council. The plan aims to increase the rates of participation in physical activity by different age groups by 10 per cent by 2021.
30th Aug 2011
This research, by Denamrk's Copenhagen City Heart Study, indicates that the relativie intensity and not the duration of cycling is of more importance to heart health. The findings were released in the European Heart Journal and the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention in 2011. The authors recommend that brisk cycling is preferable to slow.
28th Jul 2011
In July 2011, Partnership for Prevention released a report which examines the effects of transportation policies on public health in three key areas—environment and environmental public health, community design and active transportation, and motor vehicle-related injuries and fatalities.
28th Jul 2011
In May 2011 the American Public Health Association released on online toolkit to help build bridges between the public health and transportation communities. The health and transportation toolkit includes talking points, outreach materials and resources which can be downloaded for free.
23rd Feb 2011
C. Sullivan & C. O’Fallon, January 2011, NZ Transport Agency research report 435
Although this survey was commissioned by Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) mainly to measure levels of sport/recreation activity and to quantify physical activity in general, it includes data of interest to the transport sector on walking and cycling. In particular, people reported the amount of walking and cycling they did each day during the previous week and this was recorded separately for sport/recreation and for transport purposes (defined as ‘mainly to get from place to place’).
04th Feb 2011
Ann Marie Gardner, January 28, 2011, GOOD - Health
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04th Jan 2011
Sustrans is the UK’s leading sustainable transport charity and works on practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport to benefit health and the environment.
29th Oct 2010
Erin Turner, Jacqueline Crowle, September 2010, Australian Government - Productivity Commission
29th Oct 2010
Chris Rissel, 15 October 2010, Croakey - health blog via Australian Policy On-Line
29th Oct 2010
By Ben Coxworth, September 20, 2010, Gizmag - GOOD THINKING
29th Oct 2010
By John Pucher, PhD, Ralph Buehler, PhD, David R. Bassett, PhD, and Andrew L. Dannenberg, MD, MPH, August 19, 2010, American Journal of Public Health
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This report, by the American Public Health Association, was released in 2010. This report outlines how the connection between health and the built environment impacts the pocketbook; it also provides a summary of the process of planning, funding and building transportation systems, and discusses key opportunities for public health professionals to get involved in the process.
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Gotschi, Dr T. & Mills, K.J.D. (2008) Rails-to -Trails Conservancy, USA
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