According to Associate Professor Peter Edholm from Halmstad University, fitting hours of exercise into a busy routine can feel challenging, Forskning.se reports.
Travel time to and from work is therefore highlighted as a practical opportunity for regular physical activity.
Even minor adjustments, such as stepping off the bus a few stops early and walking the rest of the way, can build a valuable habit over time.
Electric bicycles can also offer health benefits by making physical activity more accessible for people with longer commutes or reduced physical capacity.
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30,000 people examined
To investigate the effect of daily transportation, researchers analyzed data from the extensive Swedish population study Scapis and published their findings in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
In total, around 30,000 men and women aged 50 to 64 underwent advanced scans. Using CT imaging, the research team obtained detailed pictures of the amount of atherosclerosis in the participants' hearts.
Atherosclerosis occurs when fatty deposits and inflammatory cells build up in the walls of blood vessels to form plaque. If this plaque ruptures, it can create a blood clot that may ultimately trigger a heart attack.
Active commuters
The scans revealed a clear trend among participants who regularly walk or cycle all or most of the way to their workplace.
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Commuting on foot or by bicycle for about twenty minutes a day is linked to a lower incidence of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries.
This association holds true regardless of how much exercise the individuals otherwise perform during their leisure time.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.