Beat Air Pollution Risks by Spending More Time Outdoors

According to researchers, if you walk and cycle often, even if you live in polluted cities, your risk of heart attack, diabetes and cancer is mitigated significantly. The more you rely cycling and/or walking, you not only strengthen your body but also use less vehicles that inadvertently improves the environment too.

Research findings suggest that a country's fitness levels can be improved by simply encouraging people to be more active. However, there have been cases of negative impact of air pollution on people who live in urban environments.

According to a new study led by Center for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR) and Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at University of Cambridge, it was found that active travel benefits actually outweigh the risks from air pollution. This is regardless of the fact that air pollution is one of the biggest environmental risk factor affecting people's health.

The study, published in Preventive Medicine, is a one of a kind model that asses the risks and benefits of walking and cycling across varied range of air pollution levels across the world.

"Our model indicates that in London, health benefits of active travel always outweigh the risk from pollution," said lead author Dr Marko Tainio from the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge.

"Even in Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in the world - with pollution levels ten times those in London - people would need to cycle over five hours per week before the pollution risks outweigh the health benefits.

"We should remember, though, that a small minority of workers in the most polluted cities, such as bike messengers, may be exposed to levels of air pollution high enough to cancel out the health benefits of physical activity."

Co-author Dr James Woodcock, also from CEDAR, says: "While this research demonstrates the benefits of physical activity in spite of air quality, it is not an argument for inaction in combatting pollution.

"It provides further support for investment in infrastructure to get people out of their cars and onto their feet or their bikes - which can itself reduce pollution levels at the same time as supporting physical activity."