City cycling may save the planet, but not your lungs

A study has found that cycling in congested cities could do more harm than good to your heart and lungs, due to the breathing in of dangerous pollutants in the air.
While pedestrians are exposed as well, cyclists exert themselves more and breathe more heavily, which increases their risk, the Australian reports.
Problem include breathing in exhaust fumes, as well as tiny particles generated by vehicle brakes and tires.
A separate 2011 UK study also found that urban cyclists may be inhaling high levels of black soot.The University of London study found that urbanites who cycled to work had 2.3 times more black carbon in their lungs than pedestrians.
Previous research has shown that black carbon is linked to a wide range of serious health issues, including reduced lung function and a higher risk of respiratory diseases and heart attacks.
What's an avid city cyclist to do ? Consider using a face mask.Also, opt for roads with less traffic, or travel during times of day when there is less congestion, and avoid riding behind diesel powered buses and trucks.

12 Health Benefits From Cycling

Cycling is good for health. By cycling, both children and adults will be incorporating exercise into their daily life, and in the process, improve their health. For one, it reduces death risks.Basically, a person who cycles as a commuter consistently can expect, according to a report released in a 1986 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, to live longer than those who don’t.Cycling can also give you a high fitness level. The average daily cyclist has the fitness level of someone 10 years younger.

To summarise, cycling is good for your overall health in the following ways:

1. REDUCES weight when done regularly. Cycling increases calorie consumption and raises the metabolic rate, which can help to lose weight.

2. IMPROVES control of blood pressure by 10/8 mmHg in patients with hypertension (Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, 1995).

3. LOWERS resting heart rate. A high resting heart rate has been linked to increased death from cardiovascular disease and increased risk of sudden death after a heart attack in healthy individuals.

4. PREVENTS heart disease. Regular cycling halves the chance of suffering from heart disease, one of the top 3 killer diseases in Malaysia. A study reported a 50% reduction in fatal and non-fatal heart disease in civil servants who cycled over 20 miles/week.

5. BENEFITS cardiovascular health. Cycling also reduces the risk of stroke (a major killer in Malaysia) and coronary heart disease. In a study, regular exercise on a static cycle machine in patients with heart failure improves cardiac function (Lancet, 1990).

6. REDUCES diabetes. Exercise has been to shown to lead to a reduction in the rate of diabetes mellitus. In patients with diabetes mellitus, regular exercise leads to an improvement in control of blood sugar and can help to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

7. REDUCES cancer. Physical activity has been shown to be associated with reduced rates of cancer (eg: bowel cancer, and possibly also breast cancer) (European Journal of Epidemiology, 2000).

8. REDUCES cholecystectomy (surgical removal of the gallbladder) rates in women (New England Journal of Medicine, 1999).

9. BENEFITS pregnancy. Cycling when pregnant improves cardiovascular fitness. And regular exercise may ease childbirth (Bicycling, June 1988).

10. REDUCES anxiety, depression and stress (Preventive Medicine, 1988).

11. TRAINS respiratory muscles (Report of the Royal College of Physicians, London; 1991).

12. IMPROVES muscle strength. Cycling is a non-weight bearing activity and regular cycling leads to improved muscle strength and improved mobility and coordination (Allot & Lomax and the Policy Studies Institute, 1998).

We Need to Bring Back the Bicycle

Yes, the bicycle — that good old cheap-to-operate pedal-power machine our ancestors depended on to take them places, that now no longer has a status on our roads or a place in our transport planning. The bicycle is actually the world’s cleanest, healthiest, most economical and most efficient form of transport.

Many counties are getting more urbanised and motorised today. Our towns and cities are now planned with the needs of cars in mind instead of people’s needs — easily half of the space in our cities is now used for cars. This leads to urban sprawl, which causes even more noise and air pollution that lowers our quality of life. Such senseless mobility that involves not only high costs, but also speed — that leads to more stress, more road bullies, and more road deaths and injuries — are unhealthy, bad for our quality of life as well as is economically and environmentally unsustainable.Road accident is one of the major causes of death and injury in many Asia countries especially. The rise in motorised vehicles, especially car use, has also led to worsening road congestions from traffic jams and rising road casualties from motor vehicle accidents. 

With the increasing costs of petrol today, motorised vehicles like cars and motorcycles have also become costlier to use. Motor vehicles are also costly to maintain as the consumer has to pay substantially for road tax, licences, parking fees and vehicle servicing as well as repairs for wear and tear, all of which don’t come cheap.

The infrastructure for bicycles such as roads and parking facilities is less expensive to build and less land-intensive than that for cars. In Denmark, for example, cycle paths are so much cheaper to build and maintain that some cities have gone to extremes to encourage them. The city of Copenhagen, for example, resorted to providing a fleet of free bicycles to its residents.

Bicycles are not only handy in densely populated urban areas, they also have tremendous potential in rural areas. Where roads are poorly maintained or non-existent and cars are expensive, cycling may be the quickest and most affordable way to travel.Bicycles do not contribute to air or noise pollution, and they reduce traffic congestion. They also offer a chance for people to improve their physical fitness at a time when obesity is at record levels.

Bicycles take up little space on the road, unlike cars.20 bicycles can be parked in the same space taken up by 1 car. A bicycle is also small enough to be parked anywhere, so one saves on expensive car park bills.A bicycle does not pollute (and is also a lot quieter), unlike cars.The bicycle itself is also a cheap, simple, reliable and sensible mode of transport.

Bicycles should be encouraged as the most efficient transport mode for short trips in cities of all types and income levels, particularly for trips too long for walking and too short for express public transport services

Encourage Children to Cycle

Many youngsters today lead a sedentary life and spend increasing amounts of their leisure time watching TV or playing on the computer. Unlike children of generations ago, modern Malaysian children are also restricted from exploring their surroundings on foot or by bicycle due to safety reasons, including road safety. Young people’s mobility today is also becoming more car-based, with fewer cycling and walking, especially to school.

Research has shown that independent mobility helps make children more active and self-confident, and helps them learn vital road sense. Research has also shown that independent mobility and being able to be outdoors without supervision is essential for children’s personal and social development.

There are many benefits from this move, among them cycling is a good way to encourage children to do regular exercise. Regular cycling increases activity levels of children. The World Health Organisation recommends that young people should aim to be active for over 1 hour per day. Children who do not exercise regularly risk becoming overweight or even obese, with all its attending health risks.