TIME TO HOP ON YOUR BIKE

Pedalling to work is not only good for the environment, it could also help you live longer. People who cycle to work have a lower risk of dying, a New Zealand study from the University of Otago has found. Lead researcher Dr Caroline Shaw, from the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington, says people who cycled to work had a 13 per cent reduction in mortality during the study, likely as a result of the health benefits of physical activity.

While walking to work has health benefits including the prevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, there was no reduction in mortality.

Dr Shaw says the study, which analysed data from 3.5 million New Zealanders, is one of the largest-ever cohort studies to examine the association between mode of travel to work and mortality outcomes.

“We studied 80 per cent of the working-age population of New Zealand over a 15-year period, so it is highly representative.” she said.