Is Taking The Bus Better For Your Waistline Than A Bike?
Could taking the bus make you skinnier than taking your bike or your car? A British study came to surprising results!
My First Car
Before I got my driver’s license taking the bus was my natural mode of getting from A to B. Either that or riding my bike, which wasn’t practical for longer routes or when time was in short supply.
It all changed when I got my first car. Just hop into the convenient vehicle right in front of the house and in the privacy of your own portable home go where you want to be whenever you feel like it.
It was my combined American and French revolution: independence, autonomy, liberty. Looking back it’s a wonder I didn’t call out a republic and design a flag.
Taking Your Car Is Worst
Back then I was skinny anyway, but given my later weight problem the car may not have been the best choice.
A British study compiled data from 15,777 people, recording what mode of transport they used, their BMI and their body fat percentage.
The results looked like this:
- The BMI of men using public transport was 1.43 points lower than the one of car drivers
- Women using bus and train had a BMI 0.94 points lower than their car-minded sisters
These BMI differences roughly translate into 7 lbs (3 kg) less weight for the men, and 5 lbs (2.5 kg) less for women. Both groups also had lower body fat than the “my vehicle is my castle” crowds.
…But The Bus Is Even Better Than A Bike?
But how this compare to taking a bike or walking? The study called this “active transport” and one would think that of all methods this makes you the slimmest. Not quite:
- Men riding bikes or walking had a BMI 1.41 points lower than car drivers, less than the 1.43 of public transport users
- For women, too, public transport scored better than active transport: -0.94 versus -0.86
What Does It Tell Us?
You can read the full study for free right over here. Maybe you find some answers to the questions it poses: why are public transport users slimmer than walkers or bikers? Why do men benefit from taking public transport more than women?
Questions over questions, but one thing is for sure: taking the car seems the worst way.
Picture courtesy of Eirik Newth.
8 Comments
I used to walk 45 mi s each way to work, it got me in amazing shape without even realizing it.
Wow, that was a lot of walking!
Well standing on the bus which is my normal situation is usually an extreme sport. There is the climbing over the baby stroller obstacle course (my personal record is 5 strollers in a row. Then is the trying to stay upright through potholes, hard braking and swerving. Add the stress from having your bus get cancelled again followed by having somebodies briefcase jabbing you in the butt for 15 minutes and the oppressive heat. Yep, you are definitely drained by the time you fall out the doors and kiss the ground.
Hahaha, Cindy, that cracked me up! 😀
The only problem with biking in the US is how dangerous it can be in many cities. I bike all the time for fun and exercise, but not to where I work.
Well, if we go by the theory that elevated stress levels contribute to your metabolism, it may be so by design! 😉
I like your videos and most of your posts, but DUDE you lost a lot of credit for this one.
I ride my bike to work everyday in London ( a bit over 5 miles ) and my legs are like ROCKS and are very strong now.(I am 40 and I work standing ALL DAY) I used to take the tube instead before, and I was not only depressed by the experience I was also less fit. Not to mention the FLU that travels the tube every now and then. Packed like a sardine in comparison to cycling through the lovely canals out in the open changed my life. Whoever says that you are better off in public transport in a big city is either lying or nuts.
PS.:Scooby would say that working out your legs is owesome for your body since it envolves huge muscles, not to mention the AEROBIC workout that is the most excencial thing one can do for one’s health, isn’t it?
Don’t kill the messenger, man 🙂 I’m just reporting what that study found.