London - If you got the bus to work this morning rather than walking, don’t feel guilty. A study suggests those who commute by bus or train are healthier than those who walk.
It isn’t clear why but it may be that when the walk to the bus or train station is factored in, those who take public transport are actually getting more exercise.
The counterintuitive finding comes from a study of 6 000 Japanese adults who underwent a battery of health tests and provided information on their commute.
Those who took the bus or train were deemed to be the fittest – they were the slimmest, had the best blood pressure and were the least likely to have diabetes.
Importantly, those who took public transport were 40 percent less likely to be diabetic overall and 26 percent less likely to be diabetic than the walkers. Those who walked or cycled were next healthiest, while those who drove to work were in the worst shape, the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions meeting in Florida heard.
Study author Dr Hisako Tsuji, of the Moriguchi City Health Examination Centre in Osaka, said it was impossible to tell if taking public transport improves health or if bus and train passengers are simply healthier to begin with.
Dr Jorge Plutzky, of the American Heart Association, cautioned against reading too much into the results. But he added that the study throws up the idea that “activity, even when modest and integrated into one’s lifestyle like how you get to work, and the walking before and after you’re getting there, could matter”.
Daily Mail