Here’s one more reason to think about cycling to work: a new study has found people who commute by bicycle tend to have fewer days off sick and a reduced risk of long-term absences due to illness.
The study, led by a team from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, analyzed self-reported data from 28,485 local government workers across the course of a year, with most of the participants followed up for a second year too.
Compared to passive commuting – by car or by public transport – cycling 61 kilometers (38 miles) or more per week was linked to 8-12 percent less risk of taking days off ill and 18 percent lower chance of being absent for at least 10 days due to sickness. On average, the most active commuters had 4.5 fewer sick days than passive commuters, and one fewer long sickness period per decade.
“There is already research evidence on the health and environmental benefits of active commuting, but its connection to the risk of long sickness absences, for example, has not been studied at all before,” says Essi Kalliolahti, a public health scientist from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
While the researchers did account for other potential factors influencing the sickness stats – including sex, age, alcohol intake, and socio-economic status – the data doesn’t show a direct cause and effect between biking and illness, only a strong association.
The findings match those of previous studies on commuting by bicycle, though the exact reason behind the relationship remains speculative. Staying active is one of the best ways to stay healthy, so it’s arguable that those who keep fit are at less risk of many common conditions. On the other hand, health conditions that increase the chances of needing time off might also make a daily cycle to work harder for some.
The researchers also found cycling to be better than walking for reducing sick days, though again the differences only appeared for those who traveled the furthest by bike. It’s possible that walking doesn’t quite get the body working hard enough, or that people with a long cycling commute to work have some other advantage that means they’re sick less often.
“In addition to the typically lower weekly number of active kilometers among walkers, the intensity of walking may be insufficient,” the researchers write, suggesting walking at a higher pace could be more important than the frequency of the walks.
Cycling won’t be an option for everyone – and can be stressful in urban areas – but it can mean you turn up for work more often, while also helping to reduce emissions from other forms of commuting.
“Knowing that only half of the adult population exercises according to the recommendations, commuting on foot or by bike can be a useful way to increase health-promoting exercise,” says Jenni Ervasti, an epidemiologist from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
“The results of the study provide additional reasons to encourage and invest in an active commuting style, and especially commuting by bike.”
The research has been published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.
