Bicycle Riding Lowers Risk Of Diabetes

Riding a bicycle can be beneficial to the health. According to the new research, taking a bicycle rather than opting for a car can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. People who take the bicycle for the work or on a regular basis are less prone to any illness and it also helps to stay fit. There is no specific age to start biking, as many studies have suggested that riding a bike at the late age can also help a body to stay fit and improves health with time. Study leader Martin Rasmussen, from the University of Southern Denmark, says ‘cycling can be included in daily life and being an easy alternative, gains an easy access to the larger population. It can be great for those who do not get enough time to allot their time in physical activities due to their hectic life’.

The above study was carried out on more than 50,000 subjects, aged between 50-65 years old. The purpose of the study was to see the effects of cycling on the type 2 diabetes. It was found that the amount of time spent on cycling determines the connection with health. Hence, participants who spent more time cycling developed reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study happened across the span of five years. After 5 years, the results were assessed by the researchers and it was found that regular cycling leads to 20% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in comparison to the sedentary participants.

The researchers also took into account the factors that can influence the results of the cycling such as smoking, alcohol, diet, weight, and other exercises as well. The results were variable on the type of factors involved, so other factors also come into play when determining the efficacy of cycling. At the end, it was concluded that cycling can be a great support program for health and people must be encouraged to cycle more.

Since the study was focused on middle-aged people including both men and women, it was an ideal opportunity to determine the health effects on the type 2 diabetes. Cycling is an inherent trait that not only helps to reduce diabetes effects but also helps in prevention from other chronic diseases, which still require further research.