WFH could be HARMING your health, study suggests… as experts find ‘active commuters’ have 47 percent lower risk of death

Working from home is actually unhealthy, a new study shows, with research showing that ‘active commuters’ are up to 47 percent less likely to die.

People who cycle or walk to work are less likely to experience mental and physical health problems than people who do not rely on these options, a large-scale, long-term study has found.

Active travel is considered one of the easiest ways to increase your daily physical activity, and there is growing evidence that it has health benefits.

Researchers from the Glasgow Centre for Population Health analysed data from 82,000 people in Scotland aged 16 to 74.

Participants were asked questions about, among other things, which mode of transport they used for the longest part of their journey to work, expressed in distance.

New research shows commuters who cycle to work are less likely to be prescribed antidepressants (Stock Image)

Almost all people who walked to work had a travel time of less than 5 km.

Four-fifths of cyclists travelled less than 5 km, while 14 percent travelled 5-9.9 km to work.

Meanwhile, 58 percent of inactive commuters traveled more than 5 km to get to work.

During the 18-year study period, data on the participants’ health were also collected.

The researchers found that commuters who walked or cycled had a lower risk of death and mental and physical health problems, compared with inactive commuters who drove or took public transportation to work.

Cycling to work was associated with a 47 percent lower risk of death and a 10 percent lower risk of hospitalization.

It was also associated with a 30 percent lower risk of being prescribed a drug to treat cardiovascular disease, a 51 percent lower risk of dying from cancer, and a 20 percent lower risk of being prescribed drugs for mental health problems.

Walking to work was associated with an 11 percent lower risk of hospitalization for any reason, a 10 percent lower risk of prescription medications for cardiovascular disease, and a 7 percent lower risk of prescription medications for mental health problems.

According to the authors, active commuting has clear health benefits and can be an effective way to incorporate physical activity into daily working life.

Although the study did not directly compare the health of home workers with that of commuters, previous research has shown that working from home is associated with more sedentary behavior and less physical activity.

In the journal BMJ Public Health, the researchers wrote: ‘This study strengthens the evidence that active commuting has health benefits for the population and may contribute to reduced morbidity and mortality.

‘The fact that commuting by bicycle or on foot is associated with a lower risk of being prescribed medication for poor mental health is an important finding.

New research shows that workers who walk at least 45 minutes total to work — or just over 20 minutes each way — have better cardiovascular health than workers who rely on cars or public transportation (stock image)

‘This study is globally relevant to efforts to reduce carbon emissions and transition to more active and sustainable modes of travel.’

While the study did not determine the ideal commuting distance, the researchers noted that national guidelines call for adults to engage in 30 minutes of moderate physical activity per day.

Cycling and brisk walking both count. So someone cycling 14 km/h would achieve this with a 3.5 km return trip to work.

A pedestrian walking at 4.8 km/h will reach this guideline after 2.4 km.