Taking to two wheels regularly, whether to commute or just for fun, could lower your chance of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as a fifth – even if you only pick up the habit later in life. Danish research of more than 50,000 men and women aged 50-65 found that those who regularly took to the saddle had a 20 per cent lower chance of type 2 diabetes, even when they took other risk factors such as waist circumference, diet, alcohol, smoking and other forms of exercise into consideration. It’s great news, especially as even the time poor can incorporate cycling into everyday life, just by popping to the shops or to visit a friend on two wheels rather than four. In fact, another study, the London Travel Demand Survey (LTDS), which looked at 40,547 London commuters over six years, found just owning a bike made people more active. So get yours out of the shed and show it some love.