A simple habit could make you healthier: People who walk or bike to the office have a significantly lower risk of diabetes and obesity, finds new research from the U.K.
In a group of more than 20,000 British workers, those who hoofed it to their 9-to-5 had a 40 percent lower risk of diabetes, 20 percent lower risk of obesity, and 17 percent lower risk of high blood pressure. Pedaling slashed diabetes risk in half and obesity risk by 37 percent.
So what do those numbers actually mean? If all of the approximately 14,000 people who drove walked instead, 156 fewer would have diabetes, 437 fewer would be obese, and 338 fewer would have high blood pressure. When you do the same analysis for cycling, 184 fewer would have diabetes and 762 fewer would be obese. While not jaw-dropping, imagine if these numbers were extrapolated out to the entire population: millions fewer people would qualify as obese.
The bottom line: Moving during your commute burns calories and decreases the total amount of time you spend sedentary each day—particularly critical if you’re making your way to a desk job, says Roger E. Adams, Ph.D., a nutritionist and personal trainer at eatrightfitness. Just can’t ditch the wheels? At least avoid doubling the damage by staying out of the drive-thru, Adams suggests. Instead, pack a healthy to-go breakfast, like a whole-grain tortilla stuffed with scrambled eggs and vegetables.
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