As a nation we are 20% less active now than we were in the 1960s, which will rise to 35% by 2030. Encouraging staff to cycle more has benefits for both employers and employees.
With the amount of time we spend at work and our increasingly sedentary lives, it is important to integrate physical activity in and around the workplace and during our commutes.
The costs of inactivity
The cost to the UK
The cost to individuals
Physical inactivity is associated with 1 in 6 deaths in the UK.
Even people exercise frequently are still at risk of the negative impacts of sedentary behaviour on health, especially through sitting at work. A large study involving over 100,000 U.S. adults found that those who sat for more than six hours a day had up to a 40 percent greater risk of death over the next 15 years than those who sat for less than three hours a day. Most importantly, this effect occurred regardless of whether the participants exercised. The study showed that prolonged sitting cancels out the effects of exercise in otherwise active people, with 2 hours of siting cancelling out 20 minutes of exercise.
The benefits of activity
Benefits for the UK
In their third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3), the Government mentions that physical activity is good for physical and mental health and has a measurable positive impact on relieving NHS pressures, worth an estimated £10.5 billion in savings a year.
According to Active Travel England’s delivery plan ‘Worth every step’, achieving the CWIS3 walking and cycling outcomes would lead to 1.7 million fewer GP appointments needed every year. It would also deliver long-term benefits to people’s health, the environment and business – over 40 years these are valued at around £115 billion.
Benefits for workplaces and businesses
The British Heart Foundation stresses the importance of health at work and state that healthier staff:
- Have better morale, leading to improved staff and management relationship
- Take less time off, resulting in reduce absenteeism costs
- Are less likely to leave, contributing to a better corporate image
- Perform better, leading to improved productivity
- Are more productive, giving better job satisfaction
According to Active Travel England’s delivery plan ‘Worth every step’, achieving the CWIS3 walking and cycling outcomes, would lead to 4.4 million fewer sick days being taken.
Research from Living Streets shows those who walk or wheel to shops spend more money, and that pedestrianised town centres experience higher sales.
Benefits for the individual
Healthier and happier lives
According to the NHS, there is strong scientific evidence that being physically active can help people lead healthier and happier lives.
The NHS states that people who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing many long-term (chronic) conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some cancers. Research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
There is a long list of medically proven health benefits for people who do regular physical activity, including:
- up to a 35% lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
- up to a 50% lower risk of type 2 diabetes
- up to a 30% lower risk of depression
A five-year study compared people who had an active commute with those who’s commute involved sitting down (e.g. in a car). The researchers found that walking as a commute was associated with lower risk of CVD incidence and mortality.
Saving money
Active local trips can help unlock the potential for families to go from a two to a one-car household. According to Active Travel England’s delivery plan ‘Worth every step’, families could save around £1,700 per year if they gave up their second car entirely.
Active travel can also help save money by providing exercise at the same time as transport. Helping people save money on expensive gym memberships.
Other benefits for the individual
Other benefits for active commuters include:
- Saving time, as people can commute and exercise at the same time.
- Exposure to daylight helps in setting your body clock for the day while giving yourself a dose of Vitamin D.
- Giving your eyes a long-distance workout (a vital antidote to desk-based work).
- Beat the 3.00 pm slump with a lunchtime walk. A brisk walk is a natural energiser; boosting circulation and increasing the oxygen supply to cells in your body, helping you feel more alert and alive.
- Improving your mood – The ability of exercise to boost mood is undisputed. Studies have shown regular, moderate-intensity exercise to be as effective as anti-depressants in cases of mild to moderate depression.
Other benefits of increasing levels of activity through cycling
Enabling and encouraging you staff to cycle to work can help increase their levels of activity.
Cycling on lunch breaks or after work provides staff with an opportunity to socialise and connect, away from the office environment. This can help improve relationships among staff and increase engagement within the workplace.
Encouraging workers to contribute to the success of workplace cycling activities by volunteering as cycle champions or be part of a bicycle user group can build leadership skills and can increase engagement with your organisation. These skills could be acknowledged in personal development reviews and training records. Please see our “Making your business cycle friendly” toolkit for more information.
Increasing the number of people that cycle to work can also help reduce the number of single occupancy car trips to your site and help relief pressure on your car parking capacity.
With more people cycling in your company, and by offering support for them, you can demonstrate your business’ commitment to sustainability and the health and well-being of your staff. This will strengthen your Corporate Social Responsibility status and can contribute to your ISO 14000 standards.
Please see our ‘Promoting cycling’ toolkit for ideas on how to encourage cycling in your workplace.
Further support
Active Devon are community-focused organisation with a vision of everyone in Devon active for life. Their mission is to unlock the ability of movement to change lives for the better.
Active Devon deliver transformative projects that inspire people to choose walking, cycling and other sustainable modes of travel.
To find out how Active Devon can help your workplace, please email hello@activedevon.org.