Cycling for health: Improving health and mitigating the climate crisis

To review the literature about cycling and health, and to provide an overview and discussion of the available evidence.

The MeSH terms bicycle and transportation were searched in PubMed. Clinical trials, practice reviews, and systematic reviews were included. All reference lists were reviewed for additional articles.

Climate change is a threat to health. In Canada alone, transportation is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Active transportation, which is any form of human-powered transportation, can mitigate the health effects of the climate crisis while simultaneously improving the health of people. Physical activity improves overall well-being, as well as physical and mental health. Active transportation, particularly cycling, is a convenient way to meet physical activity targets, reduce risk of disease and all-cause mortality, and derive mental health and social benefits. Family physician advocacy for active transportation has been shown to increase cycling levels in patients compared with no physician advocacy.

Family physicians can help to increase the level of active transportation at the individual patient level through patient education and behaviour change counseling; at the community level through community education and political advocacy; and at the policy level through partnerships with larger organizations.