The number of people in Taiwan with an exercise habit rose in 2008 to 55.8 of the population from 51.5 percent the previous year, according to a survey conducted by the Bureau of Health Promotion (BHP), officials said Thursday. The survey, conducted among 16,901 people aged 18 and older, was aimed at monitoring the health behavior and risk factors among the country's citizens, according to Tsai Chun-yu, a BHP section chief. Some 55.8 percent of the respondents said they had exercised in two weeks previous to the survey. On average they exercised 68 minutes a day, 3.6 days a week, Tsai said. However, the remaining 44 percent of the respondents did not have any exercise regimen, the poll showed. Meanwhile, the results of another survey conducted in 2005 revealed that walking was the most popular exercise, with 42 percent of the respondents indicating that this was their mode of exercise, Tsai said. Jogging was preferred by 17 percent of the respondents, mountain hiking by 12 percent, calisthenics by 10 percent and cycling by 9.38 percent, she said. Based on the results, it was estimated that at least 950,000 people were riding bicycles for exercise, Tsai said. According to Tsai, cycling burns as many as calories as walking. For a woman who weighs 55 kg, cycling for 60 minutes can burn 155 kcal to 247 kcal depending on the speed at which she is riding, she added. As cycling has become increasingly popular in recent years, the BHP reminded the public of the importance of wearing helmets when riding bicycles. In the event of an accident, the risk of death is 12 percent higher if helmets are not worn, and the risk of severe injuries is 27 percent higher, the bureau said. 