Walking or Cycling to Work Boosts Wellbeing

Switching from driving to walking or cycling to office can boost one's wellbeing, reveals a new study.

The researchers at the University of East Anglia highlight the health benefits of walking or cycling to work.

The team evaluated 18 years' data of 18,000 commuters, aged between 18-65 years, in Britain. Using this data they looked at the aspects of psychological health that included sleepless nights, and feelings of worthlessness, unhappiness and inability to face problems.

They found that walking or cycling to work, rather than driving, can boost the mental health of the people. The active commuters who stopped driving and started cycling or walking felt much better and were able to concentrate well and work under less strain.

Also, when compared to driving, traveling on public transport also improves the psychological wellbeing of the people.

Lead researcher Adam Martin, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said: "One surprising finding was that commuters reported feeling better when travelling by public transport, compared to driving. You might think that things like disruption to services or crowds of commuters might have been a cause of considerable stress. But as buses or trains also give people time to relax, read, socialise, and there is usually an associated walk to the bus stop or railway station, it appears to cheer people up."

According to the 2011 Census in England and Wales, 67.1 percent of the commuters opt for cars or vans as the main mode of commute when compared to 17.8 percent of the people who opt for public transport. Just 10.9 percent of the people walk and 3.1 percent cycle.

Adam Martin said: "Our study shows that the longer people spend commuting in cars, the worse their psychological wellbeing. And correspondingly, people feel better when they have a longer walk to work."

The finding appears in the journal Preventive Medicine.