How Can Commuting Affect Your Health?

Each one of us spends some time every day on commuting. For some of us it is quite tiring while some others enjoy this journey. Now, depending on the amount of time you spend on it or the energy that you lose, commuting may have some serious effects on your health! So, let us find out how it can affect your body:

1. Gaining of weight: Yes! Studies reveal that commuting may result in gaining of weight. People who drive to their workplaces weigh considerably more than the others who choose alternatives like cycling or walking. The simple reason is that cycling and walking require a higher amount of activity and hence there is a scope of work out which in turn loses weight.


2. Pain in the neck: This results due to slumping forward for a longer time while sitting in a car or any form of transport. It is due to the stiffness of muscles in that part of the body. So, it is better to sit with your backbone straight and head properly aligned between the two shoulders.


3. Mental health: Your mental health is also largely affected by your commuting. It has been found from the researches that those who take the routes with heavy traffic or drive their own cars are easily irritated and may also have concentration problems. On the other hand, those who go for cycling are found to be in better mental health. Interestingly, people get who drive long distances are frustrated with their daily schedule while for those who walk or cycle to their workplace, more the distance more is the pleasure!


4. Blood sugar: Blood sugar level may also rise or fall depending upon your daily journey. For those of you who drive more than ten miles a day there are high chances of rise in the blood sugar level.  This may eventually lead to pre-diabetes or diabetes.


5. Cholesterol Levels: The cholesterol levels can vary with your daily commuting. You will be surprised to know that more the time you spend on commuting, higher is your cholesterol level! In extreme cases it may cause heart disease as well.


6. Stress levels: Stress levels are found to increase not only with the professional tasks performed and amount physical activities you participate in but also with the increase in duration of your commuting. More the traffic, more is this stress. The level of stress also depends on the time of the day when you are travelling.


7. Exposure to pollution: Commuting is also associated with an exposure to air pollution and noise pollution. The harmful gases emitted by the vehicles may affect one’s respiratory system and heavy traffic may lead to harmful effects of noise pollution. Noise pollution in higher levels can cause headaches, heart diseases and even problems related to hearing. To avoid this, one should go for quieter alternatives like the metro.


8. Problems related to sleep: Problems related to sleep are not rare in this field either! One may suffer from the lack of proper sleep as a result of which their boy will not get the sufficient rest. This may lead to several other health problems and diseases since for a healthy lifestyle a good night’s sleep is must.


9. Ache in joints: It is common for the daily commuters to develop back pains or pains in knee joints. This is because they remain seated at the same position for a significantly long period of time. To get rid of such problems it is advisable that you change the postures of sitting from time to time while travelling.


10. Overall fitness: Your overall fitness gets hampered as a result of commuting. It may so happen that that you lack the sufficient energy to carry on with your daily work at the office as a result of a long and hectic commuting. Though cycling to the workplace is looked upon as a refreshing way to commute, it may also make your feel stressed since it involves a lot of physical activity.

All these are the possible outcomes of commuting that vary greatly according to the mode of transport you choose and time you spend for it.

Author Byline

Rehan is an author, SEO Specialist, Freelancer, speaker, health, and wellness coach. He provides concise, powerful information on how you can get control of your health quickly and easily. He loves exercise, yoga, sleeping in colder rooms and discuss Amsterdam, cooking, internet, web hosting and traveling to new places.He also research for Ford Atlas Concept, Today, there are very powerful and iconic vehicles such as the Ford Atlas Concept. This particular model has revolutionized the automotive field and is by far the best in truck in the market today.

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How Can Commuting Affect Your Health?