Commute Time - Is It Worth It?
We wake, we work, we eat, we sleep. We wake, we work, we eat, we sleep. We wake, we work, we eat, we sleep.
Sound familiar? Or did I forget something? Oh yes, the commute time we all spend sitting in traffic, cursing the poor old lady that just cut us off.
In recent years, commuting time to and from work has become longer — which, in turn, causes us to spend more time sitting in a car and less time engaging in physical activity (especially when many jobs are fairly sedentary to begin with).
Here are some interesting stats related to work commute times, and, specifically, how they have changed over the past decade:
Commute Time Statistics
- Average Commute: Up 14% from commute time in 1990
- Solo Drivers: Up 3.4% from 1990 averages
- Early Risers: Up 11% from 1990, when this percentage less of workers were waking up before 5am.
- Early Commuters: Up 25% from 1990, when this percentage less of employees left for work between 5am and 6:30pm.
- Walkers: Down 34% from 1990, when this percentage more of employees were walking to work instead of driving or utilizing public transportation.
All of these percentages eventually add up to an increased risk of heart disease, as well as several other physical and mental problems.
When we're rushed, we typically do not reach for the healthiest meal options. When we're rushed, we also rarely find the time to exercise. When we're rushed, our stress levels go through the roof, thereby raising cortisol levels and making it harder to burn fat.
We are a nation of overworkers, which may very well be the reason why we are also a nation of overeaters.
My suggestion is to reexamine your own morning commute time to work and ask yourself, in all honesty, whether you are affecting your health as a result of your decision to restart the cycle: Wake, work, eat, sleep. Oh yeah, and commute.
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