Japan’s bicycle culture that contributes to people’s health

I research physical activity that supports people’s health, with a particular focus on transport-related physical activity such as commuting to work or school. Transportation modes can be broadly categorized into four types: walking, cycling, driving, and using public transportation. In particular, walking and cycling are technically referred to as “active transport,” and there is a growing trend to promote them from the perspective of urban development and spatial design.

One of the major topics related to transportation methods is the recent popularity of electric scooter sharing. Since July 2023, electric scooters that meet certain requirements can be ridden without a license by those aged 16 and older, leading to their rapid spread.

On the other hand, according to a summary by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, there were 25,156 cases of traffic violations involving electric scooters nationwide over the one-year period from July 2023 to June 2024. There have been a series of accidents and issues in urban areas overseas, and in Paris, France, and Melbourne, Australia, rental services for electric scooters have already been banned.

While electric scooters offer the convenience of easy use for short-distance travel, frequent traffic violations are becoming a social issue. Regardless of the debate over regulations, from the perspective of physical activity, using electric scooters does not necessarily contribute to better health.

If electric scooters are mainly used for short-distance travel, they may serve as an alternative to walking or cycling. In fact, research shows that about one-fifth of the usage lasts less than 10 minutes. In other words, riding an electric scooter means losing opportunities for physical activity.

As a similar means of transportation to electric scooters, there are bike-sharing services (bicycle rentals). However, technically speaking, standing still is qualitatively different from engaging in an activity that involves movement. For example, even if it is the same 10 minutes, it is easy to imagine which activity —riding an electric scooter or cycling— would leave you out of breath or make your body heat up. The degree of physical strain, known as activity intensity or exercise intensity, is completely different between the two. In other words, from the perspective of physical activity, using a shared bicycle would be more desirable than using an electric scooter.

In the case of electric bicycles, the assist from the motor reduces the physical strain compared to a regular bicycle. However, unlike simply standing on an electric scooter, you still engage in physical movement, which can contribute to health benefits. From a different perspective, the advantage of electric bicycles becomes apparent for distances that are a bit too far to travel by a regular bicycle.

Compared to Europe, where serious cycling is popular, Japan has a culture of casually using bicycles in everyday clothes, typified by the so-called “mamachari” (“mom’s bike”). Japan’s bicycle culture, which is active not only in commuting to work or school but also in everyday activities such as trips to the supermarket and picking up and dropping off children, may actually contribute to good health in terms of physical activity.

Creating an environment for active transport

That being said, the desire to move around easily seems to be, in a way, a human instinct. Although everyone understands that exercise is good for health, it seems that many people find it quite challenging to make physical activity a regular habit.

Generally, when people hear the word “exercise,” they might think of sports or running. However, technically speaking, exercise is a part of physical activity. Physical activity refers to all movements that consume more energy than being at rest. In other words, even if you are not good at sports or cannot find time for serious exercise, engaging in physical activities outside of exercise can gradually bring you closer to better health.

For example, among physical activities, labor, household chores, and commuting to work or school in everyday life are referred to as “daily activities.” As mentioned earlier, simply increasing walking or using a bicycle during commuting to work or school can help increase the time spent on physical activities.

So how much should you actually move per day to help you stay healthy?

In the Physical Activity and Exercise Guide for Health Promotion 2023 published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, it is recommended that adults engage in “60 minutes or more of walking or equivalent physical activity per day.” In terms of the number of steps, this is considered to be “more than 8,000 steps a day,” which is approximately 6.1 km in distance.

On the other hand, according to the 2022 National Health and Nutrition Survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “the average number of steps for individuals aged 20 and older is 6,465 steps for men and 5,820 steps for women.” Especially for office workers who spend most of their time at a desk, it may be difficult to reach 8,000 steps a day without making a conscious effort to walk.

In addition, the guidelines published by the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that adults aged 18 to 64 engage in “moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 150 to 300 minutes per week,” or “high-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 75 to 150 minutes per week” (or a combination of both).

This condition of not meeting the WHO recommendations is called “physical inactivity.” You might think that physical inactivity is a personal responsibility, but that is not true at all. For example, since workers have jobs during the day, it is often difficult for them to increase the amount of physical activity during working hours.

Additionally, the idea of getting off one station earlier and walking may be a realistic message in the center of a big city, but in rural areas, it is unrealistic. In this way, physical activity is affected by social and geographical environments, and there are situations where individual effort alone is not enough. Therefore, physical inactivity is an issue that should be considered by society as a whole. However, in many cases it seems to be reduced to a matter of personal responsibility.

In that sense, it can be said that physical activity is deeply connected to the creation of the urban environment. In the case of bicycles mentioned earlier, there is the issue that it is quite difficult to travel by bicycle on roads with heavy traffic in the first place. For smooth and safe travel, it is desirable to have bicycle lanes. Additionally, in urban areas, commuting to work or school can be difficult without adequate bicycle parking facilities. The same goes for walking: it goes without saying that it is better to have paths where you can walk safely and without worry.

Including these factors, I believe that more emphasis should be placed on creating a better environment.

Even if you are not good at exercising, daily accumulation can help increase the amount of physical activity

On the other hand, individually, it is important to steadily accumulate small physical activities on a daily basis.

In recent years, more companies are incorporating short breaks for a little physical exercise during work hours or introducing standing desks. I believe this is effective from the perspective of daily activities and preventing prolonged sitting. Alternatively, by changing the flow of movement in the office to consciously increase movement or by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, small adjustments can create opportunities for physical activity.

In fact, the WHO also points out that to achieve more than 60 minutes of walking or physical activity per day, it is fine to accumulate small amounts of physical activity, such as three- or five-minute bouts. For example, if you drive to a shopping mall, you could deliberately choose to park farther from the entrance or walk around the mall to browse other stores besides your intended destination. It is important to be mindful of increasing your physical activity, even if it is only a little.

In recent years, casually engaging in muscle training (resistance exercise) at gyms or at home has become an ongoing boom. Muscle training has been reported to improve muscle strength and cardiopulmonary function, not only maintaining and enhancing daily functioning but also helping to prevent the onset of diseases.

In the latest 2023 edition of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s Physical Activity and Exercise Guide for Health Promotion, there is a reference to muscle training for the first time. Muscle training, such as weight training and bodyweight training, is recommended to be performed two to three times per week for adults and the elderly.

It is highly favorable that environments are being created where people can easily engage in muscle training during their free time, such as at a 24-hour gym. However, it is not recommended for people who work during the day to exercise late at night. In particular, it is considered undesirable to exercise right before going to sleep owing to the strain it puts on the body.

The situations involving physical activity change depending on the stage of life. I sincerely hope you understand that physical activity contributing to health is not just about engaging in intense exercise. The barrier to engaging in physical activity for health is much lower than many people imagine. Most importantly, I believe it is essential to experience the joy and comfort of moving your body.

* The information contained herein is current as of August 2024.
* The contents of articles on Meiji.net are based on the personal ideas and opinions of the author and do not indicate the official opinion of Meiji University.
* I work to achieve SDGs related to the educational and research themes that I am currently engaged in.

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