Tom Brokaw was the keynote speaker last week as The Cooper Institute celebrated its 40th anniversary. The celebration paid tribute to Dr. Kenneth Cooper, whose name is synonymous worldwide with wellness and physical fitness programs. “Long before wellness became part of the health care debate, Ken Cooper was promoting fitness and personal responsibility, a message that has an enduring urgency for all ages," said Brokaw, now a special correspondent for NBC News. The former NBC Nightly News anchor spoke about his personal passion for healthy living at the luncheon.

Today Mr. Brokaw remains very active and has found an interest in cycling as can be seen in the exclusive interview with Dallas News NBC 5 below1:

Cycling is a great non-impact activity for the body. It has a MET equivalency of 8 to 10 METs depending on speed and terrain2. In understanding METs, this really means that cycling burns 8 to 10 times as much energy as just sitting at rest. This would equal about 320 to 400 calories for a 170 pound individual cycling for 30 minutes.

As you can see from the caloric energy expended, cycling is an effective means of exercise. This was also confirmed by an article3 in the Archives of Internal Medicine discussed in the previous blog "Health Benefits of Active Commuting" that adults who reported walking or riding a bike as part of their commute to work were more physically fit. Also if you choose, it can allow you to see the world like Brokaw has done through his cycling. Cycling does have some risks, although you can work to reduce those as is discussed in "Being Bikeable."

One of the big ways to reduce risk is by wearing a helmet, which is almost as simple as wearing a seatbelt. Research shows that helmets have a significant effect on lifesaving capabilities like a seatbelt. Thompson’s study4 in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that bicycle helmets, regardless of type, provide protection to cyclists of all ages involved in crashes, including those involving motor vehicles. In the study it was found that helmet use was associated with a reduction in the risk of any head injury by 69%, brain injury by 65%, and severe brain injuries by 74% compared to those who did not use a helmet.

Physical activity has been said to help save lives, and based on the research above, a bicycle helmet should be considered in the same regards. A helmet should be part of the gear that goes along with bicycling. 

So grab your helmet and go see the trail, the streets around your house or even the world – all on a bike.

1 McGarry, J. (Producer). (2010). Brokaw talks passion, surfing and serving america . [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.nbcdfw.com/station/as-seen-on/Brokaw-Talks-Passion-Surfing-and-Serving-America-92452599.html

2 Ainsworth BE. (2002, January) The Compendium of Physical Activities Tracking Guide. Prevention Research Center, Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina. Retrieved [02/25/10] from the World Wide Web. http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/tools/docs/documents_compendium.pdf

3 Gordon-Larsen P, Boone-Heinonen J, Sidney S, Sternfeld B, Jacobs DR, and Lewis CE.  Active Commuting and Cardiovascular Disease Risk:  The Cardia Study.  Archives of Internal Medicine.  2009;169(13):1216-1223.

4 Diane C. Thompson, Frederick P. Rivara, and Robert S. Thompson. Effectiveness of Bicycle Safety Helmets in Preventing Head Injuries: A Case-Control Study. JAMA, Dec 1996; 276: 1968 - 1973.