Friday, November 7, 2008

Cycling is good for the heart

A major review done jointly by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine found out that 12% of all deaths in the US could be attributed to a lack of physical activity.

This is a pity, as the figure could be greatly cut down. Benefits are seen with a very low mileage. Even new cyclists starting out wiht a short distance once a week can reduce their risk of sudden death by 22%. And the benefit increases with increasing mileage. According to the British Health Foundation, cycling around 30km a week will reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by half.

So you don't need to ride a "round island" around Singapore every week, although that would speak volumes of physical determination. Just a leisurely ride every weekend (or even every other weekend) with family and friends will do much to reduce the risk of chronic and acute heart disease.

Sources:
BUPA UK
Study of cycling in Oxfordshire
Benefits of Cycling

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