A new study from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health highlights the significant benefits of biking to work, as well as walking, in reducing sickness absences among workers. The research, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, shows that biking to work can lower the risk of longer-term absences due to illness as well as the overall number of sick days taken.
“There is already research evidence on the health and environmental benefits of active commuting, but its connection to the risk of long sickness absences, for example, has not been studied at all before,” says Essi Kalliolahti, the study’s lead author and a PhD researcher at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and the University of Eastern Finland.
The findings indicate that cycling to work in particular is linked to fewer sick day absences. It’s not hard to conclude that a company encouraging and even facilitating bicycle commuting could be more efficient, productive and, yes, profitable. In addition, it lends weight to the notion that companies or governments or both would benefit from paying people to bike to work.
“Now it is known that regular commuting by bicycle can reduce the risk of long periods of sickness absence and thus reduce the overall number of sickness absences,” Kalliolahti adds.
The Link Between Biking to Work and Health
The study focused on the commuting habits of municipal employees and their risk of sick day absence. It compared those who commuted by foot or bicycle to those who used passive modes of transport, such as cars or public transit. Researchers found that the most active commuters, who averaged more than 30 kilometres of cycling or walking per week, had an 8–18% lower risk of sickness absence.
A typical Dutch commute (Photo by FietsBeraard)
This group, which typically cycled rather than walked, also had 4.5 fewer sick days per person-year compared to commuters who made it to work in a non-active mode. In terms of long sickness absences (defined as periods of at least ten days), the active commuters experienced one fewer long absence per ten person-years than their counterparts who used cars or public transport.
The Benefits of Biking to Work
Jenni Ervasti, Chief Researcher at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, explained what she sees as the broader public health impact. “Knowing that only half of the adult population exercises according to the recommendations, commuting on foot or by bike can be a useful way to increase health-promoting exercise,” she says.
Ervasti points out that less than a fifth of working-age people in Finland commute by foot or bicycle year-round, according to the Healthy Finland survey by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. Encouraging active commuting could therefore have significant health benefits for many workers.
In addition to physical health, active commuting—especially by bicycle—has environmental benefits. Many municipalities are already striving for emission reduction and carbon neutrality, making cycling an even more attractive option.
A Clear Message for Employers
The study certainly contains a valuable message for employers and companies: promoting active commuting, particularly cycling, can help reduce sickness absences and improve overall workforce health. And, we all know how that can translate to other areas like profitability.
“The results of the study provide additional reasons to encourage and invest in an active commuting style, and especially commuting by bike,” Ervasti concludes.
Want more reasons to start biking to work? Here are 33.
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