Riding a bicycle for 20 minutes daily reduces the risk of mortality by 10% and cancer-related mortality is 30% lower among those who regularly commute by bicycle, according to a report by the Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO) published this Friday on the occasion of World Bicycle Day.
Likewise, the document includes studies that indicate that active commuting to work, that is, walking or going cycling, are associated with a 10% decrease in the risk of cardiovascular disease and a 20% risk of type 2 diabetes.
Other beneficial effects of cycling relate to overall quality of life, such as reduced risk of excessive weight gain, feeling anxiety and depression, and sleep improvement.
And beyond the p direct disease prevention, “this physical activity has been related to bone strength, improved cognitive and physical function, and reduced risk of injuries associated with falls among older people.”
“Walking and cycling can reduce physical inactivity, which is responsible for approximately one million deaths a year in Europe. It can also help reduce air pollution, which alone claims more than half a million deaths a year in Europe, as well as greenhouse gas emissions, thus contributing significantly to the decarbonisation of transport”, he commented. in the report the regional director of the WHO in Europe, Hans Henri P. Kluge.
He also adds that transport and urban policies can play a “key role in shaping health, for better or for worse”, taking into account the impact in Europe of the main non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and mental disorders, which represent approximately 86% of deaths and 77% of disease burden.
The WHO recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity of moderate intensity per week for adults and one hour a day for children. However, in Europe almost one in four adults and four in five adolescents of school age are not sufficiently active.
The annual number of deaths caused by insufficient physical activity worldwide is It has been estimated between one and 6 million, and the annual number of premature deaths prevented by sufficient physical activity worldwide is estimated at four million. The WHO estimates that physical inactivity causes around one million deaths a year in Europe alone.
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