The national nutrition and health program has been reminding us of this for several years now:you must practice at least 30 minutes of physical activity at least 5 days a week (and eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day, even 10, c is even better). But when you have busy working days, it's hard to find the motivation and sometimes the time to exercise... There is however a good alternative, which is to go to work by bike. This rather simple habit is said to have significant health benefits, including reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease by half, according to science. Researchers at the University of Glasgow in Scotland have indeed studied 264,337 people, 52% of whom were women, who use this means of transport morning and evening, and the conclusions are formal:they have 45% less chance of getting sick with cancer and 46% less likely to have cardiovascular disease, compared to those who use their car or public transport. Overall, cyclists are 41% less likely to be exposed to premature death.
Walking to work is also a good habit to adopt, but it remains less effective than a bicycle trip, since it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 27% and the risk of succumbing to a heart attack by 36%. such disease. On the other hand, scientists have failed to prove that the practice reduces the risk of cancer and premature death. These differences depend on several factors, as explained by one of the study's authors, Dr. Carlos Celis-Morales:"This is because walkers cover smaller distances than cyclists, approximately 9 5 kms per week for the former, compared to 50 kms per week for the others, and walking is a less intense activity than cycling “, he explains to Huffington Post UK . The researchers believe that governments should look for ways to encourage citizens to cycle, such as increasing the number of cycle lanes, public bike stations and bike-only facilities on public transport.
In France, measures have been adopted in this direction, such as the donation of a bonus of 200 euros for any purchase of an electric bicycle (until January 31, 2018) and the adoption of a bicycle mileage allowance. Indeed, since January 1, 2016, employees can benefit from reimbursement of the costs generated by their journeys by bicycle and electric bicycle between their home and their place of work. The compensation is set at 25 cents per kilometer and is capped at 200 euros per year and per employee. However, this device is optional, and the decision is therefore up to the employer. It doesn't hurt to ask, right?
