Is cycling in the city bad for my health?
Hi. I just purchased a bike and have been commuting to uni/work instead of catching public transport. The main reason was to improve my fitness and health. I have heaps more energy than i used to and i am sleeping great. however when im waiting behind cars at traffic lights etc i feel like i am breathing in a lot of bad things. Is it possible to get lung cancer, or develop any other resipratory problems?
I commute through many heavily traffic’d areas with alot of stop lights. One thing that helps is not to stop next to an exhaust pipe. If you’re at a stop light and there is a vehicle within a few feet with it’s exhaust pipe aimed toward you, move forward or back. Once you get moving it’s not really a problem unless you live in a city with exceptionally bad smog like LA.
You’re breathing no worse air than anyone else around you, unless they’re in a car with a filtration system. If you feel uncomfortable, try looking for alternative roads with less traffic if they’re available.
Everyone is diferent, some people smoke two packs a day and never get sick, some people develop lung cancer from second hand smoke. Sorry to say, there’s no way to tell. Personally, I think you’re much more at risk from getting run over than developing a repspiratory disease, but I don’t know your family medical history. If you get sick, it may have happend whether you commute or not. The health benfits from commuting to work by bike outweigh the risks, but that’s just my opinion, and I could be wrong.
My afternoon bicycle commute
