We all know that staying active is important for our
health. And sure, working out at a gym or attending an exercise class is a
great way to do so – but what if that’s just not your thing? It can be
inconvenient, cost prohibitive or feel too public. For some, structured
physical activity can seem impossible to squeeze into an already packed
schedule!
Whatever the reason, if the gym isn’t for you, how can
you still make time to be active?
The American Heart Association’s (AHA) suggestion? Try
biking to work.
Biking as a form of transportation can help to integrate
activity into your day-to-day life, fitting easily into the time you’ve likely
already set aside for commuting.
Kim Blond, author and assistant at the University
of Southern Denmark, says that encouraging individuals to consider biking as a
form of transportation “because recreational and
commuter biking is an easy way to make physical activity part of one’s routine
in a non-structured and informal fashion.”
So how much can biking to work really impact your
health? The AHA cites two studies – one from the AHA journal Circulation, and the other from the Journal of the American Heart Association
– as pointing to the fact that biking regularly (to work, the grocery store or
for leisure) can lower an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease.
Let’s break it down!
The Circulation study tracked 53,723 Danish adults between the ages of 50 and 65 for 20 years.
It found that during the 20-year follow-up (1993-2013), 2,892 experienced heart
attacks. An analysis of coronary heart disease risk factors in the study
estimates that 202 of these cases (7.4%) could have been prevented if the
individuals biked on a regular basis.
It also found that biking for as little as 30 minutes per week can help
to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.
Beyond reducing the risk of coronary artery
disease and heart attack, biking regularly helps to support wellness by
reducing the risk of other serious health conditions, such as obesity and
diabetes. A study from the Journal of the
American Heart Association followed 23,732 people
between ages 40-69 for 10 years. During that
period, those in the study who maintained regular biking or who started biking
regularly had lower risks for obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol
and diabetes.
Like the Circulation
study, the Journal of the American
Heart Association found that active commuting was environmentally and
financially sustainable, time effective and positive for personal health.
So how do you get started? The entire month of
October, we are working to bike our way to healthier hearts by participating in
Biketober. And we would love for you to join us!
By biking for as little as ten minutes, not only
can you kickstart your health, but you can also be entered to win prizes like
restaurant vouchers or bike gear!
It’s good for you and for the environment. That’s
why Kristin Kyle, the Executive Director for the Metro Atlanta American Heart Association,
wants you to participate, too!
“As the American Heart Association, we have a mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. One of the ways we do that is by encouraging people to move more to reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke. Studies show that regular biking, like bike commuting, does just that! It gets you to work and provides the activity your heart needs. Having Biketober is a great way to bring our community together so we can motivate each other to be heart healthy.”
Kristin Kyle, Metro Atlanta American Heart Association
Get started by registering at ATLBikeChallenge.com. Don’t forget to also check out the AHA’s full article on the
benefits of biking here.