Riding to work an all-round health winner

Worried about being unhealthy or unfit? Get on your bike. Sick of being stuck in a car in peak-hour traffic? Get on your bike. Pollution concerns? Get on your bike.

This is the message from your local doctor.

The reality is we all need exercise and most of us struggle to find time. One solution is to cycle to work.

Encouraging cycling is a win-win-win from a public health perspective.

By reducing car traffic, we reduce air pollution known to contribute significantly to heart and lung diseases and strokes, and noise pollution that affects sleep and can cause stress.

Perth has a long way to go to encourage more people to cycle. In the Netherlands, a quarter of trips to and from work are by bicycle. Here, it's closer to 2 per cent.

But do we know if cycling to work actually makes a difference to health?

A Danish study clearly shows those cycling to work live longer than those who don't. By being healthier, cyclists benefit the whole community by being more productive at work and having fewer sick days.

They are saving the health system significant money at a time when we are treating a surge in lifestyle-related diseases such as most diabetes and heart disease.

Consider this the next time you pass a cyclist.

The most often cited reason for not cycling is the fear of accidents. Policies that support and encourage cycling improve the safety of riders. Research repeatedly shows accident rates fall as more people cycle.

So Doctors for the Environment Australia advocates the message that getting people cycling and supporting them with better infrastructure helps save lives and benefits everyone.

Richard Yin is a Perth GP and a committee member of Doctors for the Environment Australia