Following were mentioned yesterday on another list I belong. Thought
they may be of interest to Jane and other members here, as well.

well wishes,
Kate
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Cycling & Health Briefing Paper- a copy temporarily at:
http://agbu.une.edu.au/~drobinso/UKCycling_health.pdf

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At http://bcc.gn.apc.org/tbc/winter2002/health.html :

The Bristol Cyclist - No. 46 - Winter 2002

Cycling can seriously improve your health!

The following extracts come from a Cycling & Health Briefing Paper for
the Regional Cycling Development Team. Commissioned by AEA Technology
and written by Nick Cavill, independent consultant and health promotion
advisor to the Regional Cycling Development Team, and Dr. Adrian Davis,
independent consultant on transport and health.

Nick and Adrian are thanked for allowing their work to be included in
the Bristol Cycling Campaign Newsletter.

There is now an extremely strong body of research to support the links
between regular physical activity and good health. The first study on
this subject in the 1950s found that physically active bus conductors
had far lower rates of heart disease than physically inactive bus
drivers, despite similar backgrounds. Since then numerous other studies
have reported similar observations, which were reviewed in a landmark
report by the US Surgeon General.

Regular physical activity improves health in the following ways:

Reduces the risk of dying prematurely Reduces the risk of dying
prematurely from heart disease Reduces the risk of developing diabetes
Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure Helps reduce blood
pressure in people who already have high blood pressure Reduces the risk
of developing colon cancer Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety
Helps control weight Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and
joints Helps older people become stronger and better able to move about
without falling Promotes psychological well-being

Physical activity is also associated with improved subjective
well-being, mood and emotions. These effects are seen in populations of
all ages and are independent of socio-economic or health status.
Physical activity can also improve self esteem and results in positive
changes in various aspects of physical self-perceptions such as body
image or physical self-worth. Active individuals also report fewer
symptoms of anxiety or emotional distress and report improved sleep
patterns.

Inactive people are more likely to develop clinically defined
depression. Physical activity is effective in reducing clinical
depression and has been shown to be at least as effective as traditional
treatments such as psychotherapy. Those who maintain physical activity
for six months report less use of medication and are more likely to
recover than those solely on medication.

Cycling is clearly a form of physical activity, but it has a number of
specific qualities that effect the potential for improving health.

Research from Finland provides some of the strongest evidence for the
health benefits of cycling. Two studies suggest that journeys to and
from work by bicycle provide exercise of sufficient intensity and
duration to improve fitness and health, and that travel by bicycle
provides greater increases in measured fitness than does walking.

The Copenhagen Heart Study, which involved 13,375 women and 17,265 men
aged between 20 ? 93 years who were randomly selected. Of these, 14,976
cycled regularly and of which 6,954 cycled to work. The average time
spent cycling in those who did cycle to work was three hours a week. The
study found that cycling has a strong protective function.

Researchers concluded that:

even after adjustment for other risk factors (such as smoking),
including leisure time physical activity, those who did not cycle to
work experienced a 38% higher mortality rate than those who did.

This is a very important finding as it provides direct evidence that
regular cyclists are likely to live longer than non cyclists.

The Bristol Cyclist - No. 46 - Winter 2002