Long Commutes Are Sucking The Life Out Of You


Long drives to and from work don’t just suck up your time; these long commutes may also be hazardous to your health. Besides draining you mentally and forcing you to sit for extended periods through traffic jams, long commutes are linked to less sleep, high cholesterol and obesity.

This infographic from College@Home spells out the mental and physical impact of commuting (and also explains where traffic comes from). The more time you spend commuting, the more you worry and the greater your health risks — partly because sitting too much wrecks your health and also because commuting is just plain stressful. A recent study of 4300 people in Texas further supports previous studies on the ill effects of commuting, linking long commutes to less physical activity, excess belly fat and higher blood pressure.

It isn’t easy to change your commuting time, but it may definitely pay off. Shortening your commute by 20 minutes might lower your risk of neck and back pain by 14 per cent, obesity by 20 per cent and heart attack by 300 per cent (see how different commuting times affect your health in this Gallup survey). If you can’t move or change your commute, this is just another reason to find more ways to move during the day and try to convince your boss to let you work from home.

Here’s the whole graphic (click to expand or right-click to save):


The Killer Commute [College@Home]


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