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Some of our readers might recall a story that we broke last week on our social media pages: a scientific study has just been published asserting a link has been found between active travel and psychological well-being. This in itself is nothing new – there is a wide and ever-increasing body of knowledge exploring the link between mobility and health. But what makes this study unique is that it is the first large scale longitudinal study that was carried out to determine associations between people’s commuting practices and their mental health and well-being.

The research team took in an unprecedented 18 years of data on 18,000 commuters in the United Kingdom, integrating factors that already have an impact on well-being such as income, having children, employment status, etc. The study, published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine, can be found here.

Adam Martin, who was involved in the research and is the lead author of the study, 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." This will come to no surprise to commuters who have chosen to ditch their car and find a new way of getting to the office in the morning, be it by walking, taking the bike, or using public transport. All three forms of transport are good for you. ECF is positive about developing cycling infrastructure and public transport for a better urban mobility.  

Infering causality

Dr Randy Rzewnicki, ECF Health policy officer, who welcomed the publication of this study, said: “this is an important study for several reasons. This is a major development in that we now have a longitudinal study that specifically looks at the link between mobility and well-being. The research methodology used is superior to existing cross-sectional studies – it brings us much closer to being able to infer causality.” As a result of this research, “we’re a big step closer to being able to say: ‘walking & cycling to work improves mental health.’”, said Dr Rzewnicki.

Another noteworthy element to be taken from this study is the modal split for different forms of transport chosen by participants in the study. Indeed, over two thirds of all commuters drove to work (67%); one in five took public transport (18%), one in ten walked (11%) and only 3% cycled. Dr Rzewnicki noted “this isn’t the last word about cycling and mental health - this study had very few cyclists, only 3% of the sample, despite having 100,000 observations over a 10-year period”.

Political action now

This publication is a major leap in the state of the art on cycling and health. But this alone is not enough to transform into a healthier society. The Lancet, another scientific journal, called on politicians last month to act on existing knowledge and to commit to urban planning that encourages walking and cycling. Indeed, without political leadership we cannot transform into a healthier, happier society.

Alongside their influence on urban planning practices, studies such as these can act as a real catalyst for individual commuters to rethink their day-to-day mobility. It can get them to try a different commute, and maybe commit to a switch of mode of transport that is better for the environment, for society and for themselves.

Life is good on a bicycle, give it a try!