Researchers' astonishing discovery after studying hundreds of thousands of commuters shows the transit habit linked to good mental health
The study, published in January 2024 in the International Journal of Epidemiology, used data from the 2011 Scottish census for almost 380,000 residents between the ages of 16 and 74. All of those included stayed within about one mile of a city bike path and did not take prescriptions for mental health at the start of the study period.
Researchers compared the data against prescription records for the five years that followed, up until 2016. They found that those who cycled to work between 2011 and 2016, in comparison to non-cyclists, saw a 15% reduction in prescriptions to address mental health conditions, per Medical Xpress.
Taking medication to treat anxiety or depression isn't a poor outcome, just as not being prescribed such medication is not itself an indication of perfect mental health. But exercise has long been recognized as a key contributor to mental wellness. Purposeful movement can release "feel-good" chemicals — endorphins and serotonin — that reduce pain, improve moods, and aid in regulation. Physical activity can also help lower stress hormones, enhancing one's well-being overall. But the benefits don't end there.
As study co-author Chris Dibben noted in a statement, "Not only could [commuter cycling] improve people's mental health, but it could also help reduce carbon emissions, road congestion, and air pollution."
There's some reason to believe that for those understandably stressed about human-caused climate change, active commuting in the form of cycling could even help address some environmental anxieties. Using a traditional bike or e-bike instead of a gas-powered vehicle can help lower emissions of heat-trapping gases, not only mitigating rising temperatures but also reducing the amount of pollutants in the air.
Cycling to work can also cut commuter costs and streamline the workday. That might be especially true for those opting for fold-up e-bikes that can be easily transported around town and into buildings.
By owning an e-bike, users can also capitalize on home solar to save on charging costs. EnergySage offers easy-to-use tools to help consumers find local, vetted sources for solar quotes.
Switching from car travel to biking can make a huge difference for an individual's physical and mental health as well as for the environment — but it can sometimes be difficult to know where to start in finding a bike that's right for you.
Tapping into a local bike-sharing program might be a great, cost-effective way to test out traditional bikes and get to know other area cyclists. For those who want to try an e-bike, Upway offers a wide variety of new and pre-owned options, with many costing up to 60% less than retail. It's also a destination for those looking to sell an e-bike before making an upgrade.
How much time do you spend commuting in the car each week?
Over an hour a day
30-60 minutes a day
Under 30 minutes a day
I never drive to work
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
Residential destinations — or where people most dream of living — may increasingly include bike paths and green spaces. As Dibben said, "Our finding that this economical and sustainable method of traveling to work also enhances mental health suggests that a policy of investing in cycle paths and encouraging active commuting is likely to have wide-ranging benefits."
It's another indicator that making it easier for the public to care for and connect with the environment can come with multiple and compounding wins, from physical health and mental wellness to less air pollution and lower costs all around.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
Clinic pleads with patients to stop sending ‘inappropriate or unsolicited' urine samples
This clinic is pissed off. A Scottish medical center has had it up to here with urine — and is pleading with its patients to stop submitting any more 'unsolicited' samples. 'Please be advised that we are no longer able to accept urine samples unless they have been specifically requested by the practice,' Saltoun Surgery in Aberdeenshire said on Facebook. Advertisement 'This change is necessary due to the high volume of inappropriate or unsolicited samples being submitted, which affects our ability to provide timely care to all patients,' the clinic said. 'Thank you for your understanding and co-operation.' Too much urine: A clinic is Scotland has so much that it's asking patients to stop sending 'unsolicited' samples. ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ – Patients now wishing a deposit will have to wait until a member of the medical staff asks for it. Advertisement 'Each unsolicited sample handed in requires time and medical supplies to test in practice, contact the patient for information and then interpret the results and/or send away for further testing,' a spokesperson for the British Medical Association Scotland told Scotland's STV-News. The Saltoun Surgery facility now requires patients to wait until they're asked for a urine sample by a staffer. Facebook/Saltoun Surgery 'There are significant time and financial costs to the NHS associated with this and as such urine samples should only be submitted where a clinician has judged there is a need for this.' .
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Yahoo
Researchers' astonishing discovery after studying hundreds of thousands of commuters shows the transit habit linked to good mental health
For many, the saying "movement is medicine" is more than a truism. A study by researchers based in Scotland explored the relationship between mental health and cycling. Among those who cycled to work, Medical Xpress summarized, there was a lower incidence of being prescribed medication to treat anxiety and depression. The study, published in January 2024 in the International Journal of Epidemiology, used data from the 2011 Scottish census for almost 380,000 residents between the ages of 16 and 74. All of those included stayed within about one mile of a city bike path and did not take prescriptions for mental health at the start of the study period. Researchers compared the data against prescription records for the five years that followed, up until 2016. They found that those who cycled to work between 2011 and 2016, in comparison to non-cyclists, saw a 15% reduction in prescriptions to address mental health conditions, per Medical Xpress. Taking medication to treat anxiety or depression isn't a poor outcome, just as not being prescribed such medication is not itself an indication of perfect mental health. But exercise has long been recognized as a key contributor to mental wellness. Purposeful movement can release "feel-good" chemicals — endorphins and serotonin — that reduce pain, improve moods, and aid in regulation. Physical activity can also help lower stress hormones, enhancing one's well-being overall. But the benefits don't end there. As study co-author Chris Dibben noted in a statement, "Not only could [commuter cycling] improve people's mental health, but it could also help reduce carbon emissions, road congestion, and air pollution." There's some reason to believe that for those understandably stressed about human-caused climate change, active commuting in the form of cycling could even help address some environmental anxieties. Using a traditional bike or e-bike instead of a gas-powered vehicle can help lower emissions of heat-trapping gases, not only mitigating rising temperatures but also reducing the amount of pollutants in the air. Cycling to work can also cut commuter costs and streamline the workday. That might be especially true for those opting for fold-up e-bikes that can be easily transported around town and into buildings. By owning an e-bike, users can also capitalize on home solar to save on charging costs. EnergySage offers easy-to-use tools to help consumers find local, vetted sources for solar quotes. Switching from car travel to biking can make a huge difference for an individual's physical and mental health as well as for the environment — but it can sometimes be difficult to know where to start in finding a bike that's right for you. Tapping into a local bike-sharing program might be a great, cost-effective way to test out traditional bikes and get to know other area cyclists. For those who want to try an e-bike, Upway offers a wide variety of new and pre-owned options, with many costing up to 60% less than retail. It's also a destination for those looking to sell an e-bike before making an upgrade. How much time do you spend commuting in the car each week? Over an hour a day 30-60 minutes a day Under 30 minutes a day I never drive to work Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Residential destinations — or where people most dream of living — may increasingly include bike paths and green spaces. As Dibben said, "Our finding that this economical and sustainable method of traveling to work also enhances mental health suggests that a policy of investing in cycle paths and encouraging active commuting is likely to have wide-ranging benefits." It's another indicator that making it easier for the public to care for and connect with the environment can come with multiple and compounding wins, from physical health and mental wellness to less air pollution and lower costs all around. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
UPI
18-06-2025
- UPI
Movie review: '28 Years Later' takes ambitious, dubious risks
1 of 5 | From left, Alfie Williams, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes star in "28 Years Later," in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. LOS ANGELES, June 18 (UPI) -- 28 Years Later, in theaters Friday, takes many creative risks with the horror franchise. Just enough of those risks pay off to make the film worthwhile, though several threaten to derail the whole movie. The sequel opens 28 years after the rage virus infected Britain in 2002's 28 Days Later. The region was quarantined by the rest of the world in the 2007 follow-up 28 Weeks Later, which ended with the virus spreading to mainland Europe. 28 Years Later introduces viewers to 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams), who lives in a gated Scottish community with his father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and ailing mother, Isla (Jodie Comer). Jamie takes Spike on his first excursion to the mainland, teaching the boy how to kill infected attackers with a bow and arrow. Emboldened by his new skills, Spike ventures out again with his mother to search for the infamous Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), whom he hopes can treat Isla. Returning director Danny Boyle, after skipping 28 Weeks, makes several stylistic choices that can make 28 Years Later abrasive to watch. There are occasional shots with low grade, blurry video, perhaps to harken back to 2002's primitive digital cameras, but most of the movie is clear. Boyle intercuts black and white footage of armies and Boy Scouts marching with Jamie's lessons for Spike. Further montages incorporate color footage of medieval knights defending a castle with bows and arrows. The entire film is framed wider than the movie screen, but theater screens can't get any wider. So that means the picture actually shrinks to fit the width of the screen, leaving space at the top and bottom. Since many theaters already project this way, leaving space above and below on the screen, this film will exacerbate that even further. No movie screen in 2025 is as wide as Lawrence of Arabia anymore, so why create an image that no theater can project in full? None of these techniques enhance the film, and many of them feel like they're daring the viewer to keep watching. The latter is consistent with Boyle's filmography. Such techniques can be brilliant in Trainspotting, 127 Hours or Slumdog Millionaire, but not so appealing in The Beach and Sunshine. Fortunately, the gimmicks calm down once Spike and Isla's journey gets underway, but the story has more boundaries to push before it's done. After 28 years, the rage infected are now naked and feral, adding to the intimidation factor. Whether a horde or just one infected, their pursuit of Spike and his parents is intense. Boyle and co-writer Alex Garland make a choice regarding the biology of the infected that is equal parts bold, inappropriate and preposterous. Dr. Kelson offers an explanation that only raises more questions. Arriving 18 years after the first sequel, 28 Years Later is hardly the definitive last word on the rage virus saga. It does suggest what became of the British societies left behind under quarantine. 28 Years Later provides its share of harrowing encounters with the infected, but seems more interested in using the franchise as a vehicle to try out confrontational techniques. While not all of them work, it is admirable that at least Boyle and Garland are so ambitious they are not afraid to fail sometimes. Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Read more of his work in Entertainment.
