Extreme commuting is a danger to your health
In a previous article about extreme commuting, I mentioned that I considered a daily commute of over 30 minutes each way to be an extreme commute. That was a mistake I didn’t catch until this week. :)
What I meant to say was that I considered a daily commute of 1 hour each way to be extreme commuting. I’ve corrected the article, but in case you’ve already read that one and then came to this one wondering why I was using a different set of numbers, you’ll now know why.
How commuting hurts your health
Commuting puts a strain on your health physically and psychologically. Knowing what those strains are can help you decide how you want to combat them.
Weight gain & blood pressure problems
Add two to three hours to your work day with a commute and suddenly you barely have enough time to get home, get the kids, cook supper, take a shower, help with homework, get the kids in bed, and finally fall, exhausted, into bed yourself. Exercise? It has to be relegated to weekends or not at all. There’s just not enough time when you have a family and a long commute.
All that means you’ll end up putting on weight from the forced inactivity in your car and the lack of physical activity in the form of exercise. This lack of exercise is hard on your weight, sure, but it’s also hard on your heart. Eventually, you might even end up with high blood pressure.
Back problems
Sitting still, in one position, for a 1 hour or longer commute is no way to combat back problems. A little ache turns into a bigger ache, and pretty soon, you’re suffering from sciatica and disc compression in your spine.
Headaches & bad moods
You get frustrated when traffic doesn’t cooperate, or the sun keeps glaring on your windshield and your sunglasses just aren’t helping. The result? A glaring headache that rides you all the way home, puts you in a foul mood, and wrecks your family time in the evening.
How you can fight the unhealthy impact of your commute
Don’t eat on the road
If you leave your home hungry, you’re more tempted to pick up fast food for your morning meal. There are few good choices for a healthy breakfast once you’re on the road so be sure to eat something healthy before you leave your house.
Keep fresh water in your car
If you get thirsty and you know you’re going to be driving for an hour or longer, you’re going to have a hard time stopping yourself from dashing through a drive-thru for a drink. Not only will you spend money, but you’ll probably pick up something besides water.
Even if you go with diet drinks, you’re talking about loading your body with sodium, artificial sweeteners, and food dyes. Why do that when you can take water with you?You’ll save money and time when you don’t pull off the road to drive through the drive-thru.
Do everything you can to get in some exercise
Park as far away from your building as you can so you have to get in a vigorous walk before you settle in for the long drive. Put in extra time on the weekends being physically active. Keep squeeze balls in the car to exercise your hands—one at a time, of course, and only when driving one-handed isn’t going to put you or anyone else at risk of an accident.
Shift your position on the seat as often as you can. It all helps in the long run to ease the strain of sitting in one place for so long.
Learn to thrive on your drive
I’ve written about using your commute to learn, relax, or connect with others. This can help the psychological impact of commuting on your health.
In the Washington Post article, “Your Car + Your Commute = A Visit to Your Doctor,” University of California at Irvine’s Institute of Transportation Studies professor Raymond W. Novaco says, “It’s a physical strain as well as psychological one….It’s frustrative and activates negative emotional states, and that generally has an effect on physical well-being.” Novaco has been researching commuting for thirty years, so he ought to know.
Using your commute time wisely can ease the stress of the long drive. Try it.