What is commuting doing to you?

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The Evening Standard

Londoners are cycling to work in record numbers according to a new report. In the past year, the number of people pedalling around town has increased by 23 per cent, and the bike boom is set to continue: almost half of all adults are expected to own a bike by the end of this year.

But it's not just cycling - increasing numbers of commuters, fed up with congestion charges and traffic jams, are finding ways of making their trip to work into a much-needed workout. But how good are they for the body?

The walker:

Sophie Pryor, 30

Lives: Shepherd's Bush Works: Kensington Takes: 45 minutes on foot Total miles per week: 20

"The walk wakes me up and keeps me fit and in the evening it is good downtime after work. I get to catch up with my sister on my mobile or to learn Spanish on my personal stereo. I carry a pack which is the equivalent of doing light weights at the gym, it means I can eat more chocolate guilt-free.''

Pros: An American study of 2,000 women showed those who walked the furthest distance each week had the narrowest hips and waist, regardless of how fast they covered the ground. "Each stride strengthens and tones a range of muscles, particularly the gluteus maximus in your bottom, iliopsoas muscles at the front of your hips and hamstring muscles at the back of your legs," says Louise Sutton, head of health and exercise science at Leeds Metropolitan University.

Stroll at three miles per hour and you will burn 70 calories in 20 minutes; a fairly hilly route will use a third more calories.

Cons: You won't get much benefit if you slouch along. Peter Wilmott, a walking instructor, says you should keep your back straight and imagine a line running from your ear through your shoulder, down to your hip and ankle. Your feet should work from the heel to toe and your weight should fall slightly forwards so that you can push off your toes. Bend your arms and keep your elbows close to your body. Swing your arms from the shoulders, raising them towards your chest so that they are in line with your hips.

The Blader

Asha Kirkby, 30

Lives: Ladbroke Grove Works: Hyde Park area Takes: 12 minutes Total miles per week: 30

"I know a number of professionals who commute to central London on the train but skate into work, so they get their daily fitness fix. It also gives you such a sense of freedom. Skates are far less cumbersome than bikes; you can stash them away more easily, so they're less likely to be stolen."

For more information see www.skatefresh.com or contact Asha on www.asha@skatefresh.com

Pros: Regular skating can give you strong, toned stomach and leg muscles as well as an improved cardiovascular capacity.

Cons: Your heart isn't working quite hard enough to produce an aerobic response and your muscles aren't being fully taxed. You need to include a few drills that enhance balance, agility, power and muscle endurance. Try some squats on the move: stand with your arms forward and feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees and sit into a deep squat so that your bottom is sticking out. Repeat 10 times intermittently throughout your journey.

The Runner

Julia Slay, 21

Lives: Hackney, Works: Old Street Takes: 25 minutes Total miles per week: 30

"Running to work has ended up being my easiest, and quickest, route into the city and also means that I don't really spend any time before or after work going to the gym. The only thing that costs any money are the trainers, which need to be pretty sturdy. But I've saved about £1,000 a year through running instead of buying a weekly travelcard."

PROS: Within a matter of weeks of starting to run you will notice that your body begins to change shape for the better. Running strengthens and tones a range of muscles particularly the gluteus maximus (in your bottom), the iliopsoas (at the front of your hips) and hamstring (at the back of your legs).

However slowly you cover the ground, fat will melt away and your metabolism will be boosted. Run at a pace of 10 minutes per mile and you will burn an average 4.2 calories per hour for every pound of your body weight (that is 588 calories per hour if you weigh 10 stone), more than you would use swimming a slow front crawl or cycling at six minutes per mile.

Run for one mile and you will take between 800 and 2,000 strides, which stresses the bones in your legs and hips in such a way that it helps them to retain calcium.

CONS: Each time a jogger's foot strikes the ground a shock equivalent to three times their body weight reverberates up through the legs and spine. A pair of good trainers helps to cushion the blow, but even the most expensive shoes will not make up for inadequacies in running style, the main cause of injury in runners.

Malcolm Balk, author of The Art of Running, advises: "Don't let your head move about as it will strain the neck and shoulders, allow the wrists to remain toned rather than floppy as this also increases tension and try not to slap your feet on the ground as you will jar your whole system."

The Trekker

Peter Kelly, 35

Lives: Greenwich Works: Isle of Dogs Takes: 60-75 mins Miles per week: 50

"Trekking is an excellent means of keeping fit and I found the perfect route: a loop through Greenwich Park and through the tunnel to the corporate gym where I work. It's particularly good for toning the stomach and arm muscles and more than anything, I find it a great de-stresser. And swinging your arms backwards and forward gets rid of tension and burns lots of calories.

Pros: Using aluminium walking poles (Leki sells healthtrek poles: 01250 873863; www.leki.com) to turn your stroll into a real workout is the latest fitness craze. On average, a person who walks three miles in a workout will burn 100 calories per mile. Add poles and swing your arms and you burn 20-25 per cent more. Experts believe the use of poles helps reduce the impact on the ankles, hips and knees by 26 per cent.

Cons: Trainer Lorna Lee Malcolm, says some people feel too self-conscious to carry poles but can substitute hand weights instead. "Using your arms when you walk forces you to pick up their pace and push yourself much harder," she says.

The battle of the bikes


PROS: Madonna and Guy Ritchie, Geri Halliwell and Mick Jagger are among those who have been spotted cycling in London in recent months. The rewards of regular cycling are immense: all the main muscles in the legs are worked, and the "push-down phase", when your foot presses hardest on the pedal, recruits the buttock muscles so you end up with a firm backside too. By just coasting, you can burn 120 calories in an hour; in a hilly area that can increase to 400-500 calories.

Cons: Get your technique wrong and you are asking for injuries in the long term. Philip Ingham of the British Cycling Federation, says: "Keep your back straight and your elbows slightly bent to help absorb shock when you go over bumpy ground."

Recumbant Bikes

Pros: A growing number of commuters use these low-level bicycles (often used stationary in gyms) to get to work. They allow your body to relax and your legs to do all the work, says Oliver Taylor of the London Recumbents shop (www.london recumbent.com). With your bodyweight supported, your neck, back and wrists don't suffer from the reverberating impact you suffer on a normal bike. The design avoids saddle soreness and opportunities for slouching.

Cons: They burn off fewer calories - about 320 calories an hour when at a speed of 10mph on a recumbent (compared with 380 on a normal bike).