It isn't clear why but it may be that when the walk to the bus or train station is factored in, those who take public transport are actually getting more exercise.

 

The counterintuitive finding comes from a study of 6,000 Japanese adults who underwent a battery of health tests and provided information on their commute.

 

Those who took the bus or train were deemed to be the fittest – they were the slimmest, had the best blood pressure and were the least likely to have diabetes².

 

Importantly, those who took public transport were 40 per cent less likely to be diabetic overall and 26 per cent less likely to be diabetic than the walkers. Those who walked or cycled were next healthiest, while those who drove to work were in the worst shape, the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions meeting in Florida heard.

 

A spokesman for the association said: 'While it's already established that a physically³ active lifestyle helps reduce the likelihood of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity⁴, it is unclear whether these risk factors for heart disease and stroke are affected⁵ by how you get to work.

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