Those who walk, bike enjoy better health

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., July 13 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers confirm what doctors have long recommended -- women and men who ride a bike or walk to work appear fitter.

The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, also found men who actively commute are less likely to be overweight or obese and have healthier triglyceride levels, blood pressure and insulin levels.

Penny Gordon-Larsen of the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and colleagues studied 2,364 adults enrolled in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. More than 16 percent of the participants reached their workplace cycling or walking.

"One potentially effective means of increasing physical activity is through alternative, non-leisure forms of physical activity such as active commuting," the study authors say in a statement. "However, little previous research has been conducted on the cardiovascular and overall health benefits of such lifestyle exercise."

For most adults, 60 minutes of brisk walking per day is sufficient to meet physical activity guidelines for avoiding weight gain, the researchers said.