DAILY WALKING AND CYCLING TO WORK - THEIR UTILITY AS HEALTH-ENHANCINGPHYSICAL-ACTIVITY

The substantial health-enhancing potential of physical activity can be realised on population level best if people can incorporate physical activity into their daily life routines. Physically active commuting t o and from work provides a promising mode for such activity. In a seri es of three studies we explored more specifically the population preva lence, the physiological effectiveness, and the promotional possibilit ies of commuting to work by walking and cycling in a mid-size Finnish town. The results of the questionnaire survey indicated that while abo ut one-third of the working-age sample commuted by walking or cycling an additional one-quarter were in a position to either begin or increa se physically active commuting. The controlled intervention study show ed that this kind of moderate-intensity, high-frequency activity impro ved the health-related fitness and selected indices of metabolic healt h. The promotion project in a large industrial plant demonstrated that walking and cycling during work trips can be successfully promoted by relatively low cost measures. These experiences suggest that physical ly active commuting to work offers substantial potential as a health-e nhancing measure for working-age population. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.