How your journey affects our NHS

There has never been a more important time to support our National Health Service. Already working at full capacity, the NHS was put under further pressure when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Struggling to meet demand, our NHS is being stretched to the limit. It is vital that together we make conscious choices in our own lives so we protect those who are on the front line. The good news is that the best way to do this is keep ourselves, and those around, us safe and well. And thinking about how we get around is a great way to start. 

Recent studies have found that on average, only 1 in 20 adults achieve the minimum recommended 150 weekly minutes of exercise(1). That means 96% of the UK’s population aren’t getting enough regular exercise. A lack of adequate exercise can make people prone to health issues and weight gain, and could save the NHS an estimated £17 billion within twenty years(2). 

Of course, this is no reason to point the finger. There are numerous factors which can make getting enough daily exercise tricky; family, demanding work schedules, access to green space and gyms - the list goes on. However, swapping out regular journeys taken by car or public transport for active travel can be an easy way to get moving without having to set aside work out time.

Cycling and walking are both great forms of physical activity and can greatly reduce your risk of major killers including heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes and dementia. Recent research found an increased life expectancy of cyclists compared to non-cyclists(3).

So, by taking more exercise we can help keep ourselves well. But what about helping others stay healthy? There is an increasing amount of science uncovering the impacts of pollution and the various health disorders and even deaths it contributes to. The UK has one of the highest levels of premature deaths(4) which could contribute to up to 40,000 deaths a year(5). Growing cities have experienced dramatically rising pollution levels - however shifting just 10% of short urban trips from car to cycle could save over 100 premature deaths annually, and prevent many more people from living with disease.

And of course, in the current context, leaving as much space on buses and trains for those who really need them will help to prevent further spread of coronavirus.

So, more active travel will not only reduce congestion on roads, buses and trains but also improve all our health and overall wellbeing. And if more of us are well, the NHS stays healthy too - ready to care for those in need.

jeshoots-com-l0j0DHVWcIE-unsplash.jpg

  1. Health and Social Care Information Centre (2014) Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet. England

  2. Jarrett, J., Woodcock, J., Griffith, U.K., Chalabi, Z., Edwards, P., Roberts, I. and Haines, A. (2012) Effect of increasing active travel in urban England and Wales on costs to the National Health Service. Lancet 379(9832) 2198–2205

  3. Anderson, L.B., Schnohr, P., Schroll, M. and Hein, H.O. (2000) All-Cause Mortality Associated With Physical Activity During Leisure Time, Work, Sports, and Cycling to Work. Archives of Internal Medicine 160(11): 1621- 1628

  4. European Environment Agency (2016) Stronger measures needed to tackle harm from air pollution.

  5. Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication (n.d.) Does air pollution kill 40,000 people each year in the UK? University of Cambridge online