PEDAL YOUR WORK STRESS AWAY

-

 

PEDAL YOUR WORK STRESS AWAY

Study shows how a pedal-powered commute can set you up for the whole day.

    


New research from Concordia's John Molson School of Business (JMSB) found that cycling can help reduce stress and improve work performance.

Researchers Stéphane Brutus, Roshan Javadian, and Alexandra Panaccio compared how different modes of commuting -- cycling, driving a car, and taking public transport -- affected stress and mood at work. The study was published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management.

According to the lead author, Brutus's results indicate that cycling to work is an excellent way to have a good day. "Employees who cycled to work showed significantly lower levels of stress within the first 45 minutes of work than those who travelled by car," he says.

The study did not, however, find any difference in the effect on mood.

Using a web-based survey, the research team collected data from 123 employees at Autodesk, an information technology company in Old Montreal. Respondents replied to questions about their mood, perceived commuting stress, and mode of travel.

The survey differentiated between perceived stress and mood, a more transient state affected by personality traits and emotions.

The study only assessed answers from respondents who had completed the questionnaire within 45 minutes of arriving at work. This was done to get a more 'in-the-moment' assessment of employees' stress and mood.

Brutus notes that this time, specification was the study's major innovation.

"Recent research has shown that early morning stress and mood are strong predictors of their effect later in the day," he explains. "They can shape how subsequent events are perceived, interpreted and acted upon for the rest of the day."

He adds that the time specification ensured a more precise picture of stress upon arrival at work. Retrospective assessments can be colored by stressors that occur later in the workday.

The advantages of cycling

"There are relatively few studies that compare the affective experiences of cyclists with those of car and public transport users," says Brutus, an avid cyclist himself. "Our study was an attempt to address that gap."

At the same time, the team confirmed previous research that found that cyclists perceived their commute as less stressful than those who traveled by car.

Cycling is a relatively inexpensive transportation and a good form of physical activity. A 2015 Institute for Transportation and Development Policy study found that cycling could help reduce CO2 emissions from urban passenger transportation by 11 percent by 2050. It could also save society US$24 trillion globally between 2015 and 2050.

Brutus points out that 6 percent of Canadians cycled to work in 2011, which is only growing. However, Canada still lags behind many European countries.

There is potential for public policymakers to seize on this, he adds.

"With growing concerns about traffic congestion and pollution, governments are increasingly promoting non-motorized alternative modes of transport, such as walking and cycling. I hope further studies follow our lead and develop more precise and deliberate research into this phenomenon.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BACK PAIN: TREATMENTS AND PREVENTION

-
Image
  BACK PAIN: TREATMENTS  AND PREVENTION Your back hurts. Join the club — you're one of millions dealing with this frustrating condition. Maybe it started after a long day at your desk or crept up slowly over the years. Either way, you're looking for answers. Let's cut through the noise and talk about what works. Why Your Back Might Be Complaining Think of your back as that friend who's always trying to tell you something. Sometimes, it's screaming for attention because you've been slouching at your desk for twelve hours straight. Other times, it's protesting your new workout routine without warming up. The usual suspects? Extra weight is significant — every pound you carry stresses your spine. Then there's how we live now: hunched over phones, slumped on couches, sitting for hours on end. Our bodies weren't built for this. But something that might surprise you: your mind has a more significant role in back pain than you'd think. Stress, anxiety, ...
Read more

DEPRESSION: CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS

-
Image
  DEPRESSION: CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS We've all had bad days, but depression is different. It's like wearing a heavy coat that weighs you down, even on the warmest days. And while we've come a long way in understanding this complex condition, there's still so much to learn. What Causes Depression? Your brain is like an incredibly complex orchestra. When everything's in harmony, it's beautiful. But sometimes, things get out of tune. Depression can stem from your genes, brain chemistry, life experiences, or, often, a mix of all three. Think of it this way: Some people inherit a tendency toward depression, just like they might inherit their grandmother's curly hair. But that's just part of the story. Your brain's chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) play their part, too, along with things like chronic stress, trauma, or even ongoing health issues. Modern Treatment: Finding What Works for You Here's the good news: depression is treatable. The trick i...
Read more

KETAMINE OPTIMIZED TO WORK LONGER

-
Image
  KETAMINE OPTIMIZED TO WORK LONGER For the millions of people living with major depressive disorder (MDD), standard treatments often fall short. About one in ten Americans deals with MDD at any given time, and up to a fifth will experience it at some point. The usual antidepressants don’t work for roughly 30 percent of patients, leaving a massive gap in care. Ketamine has been a rare bright spot. Given at low doses, it can lift depression within hours, even for people who haven’t responded to anything else. The catch? Its effects fade quickly, so patients need regular infusions. That means more trips to the clinic, a higher risk of side effects like dissociation, and the looming possibility of addiction or relapse if treatments stop. Now, a research team at Vanderbilt University may have found a way to stretch out ketamine’s benefits. In experiments led by neuroscientists Lisa Monteggia and Ege Kavalali, they figured out how to push a single dose’s antidepressant action from about...
Read more