Health & Medicine
What's Your Morning Commute Like? Walking And Cycling To Work Is Best For Your Mental Health
Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Sep 15, 2014 11:48 AM EDT
Over the years, your work commute can take a mental and physical toll on your well-being. For many, this has probably involved a significant amount of time in the car and sometimes in heavy traffic, which can be insanely stressful. For others, it may involve time spent in a taxi or subway that can be just as bad.
Recent findings published in the journal Preventive Medicine show that if it's possible, opting for a more healthy commute can be more beneficial for the mind and the body; walking or riding a bike to work, in this case, is always going to be the "healthiest" option.
"One surprising finding was that commuters reported feeling better when travelling by public transport, compared to driving," said lead study author Adam Martin, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, in a news release. "You might think that things like disruption to services or crowds of commuters might have been a cause of considerable stress. But as buses or trains also give people time to relax, read, socialise, and there is usually an associated walk to the bus stop or railway station, it appears to cheer people up."
For the study, researchers analyzed 18 years of data on almost 18,000 18-65-year-old commuters in Britain, including multiple aspects of psychological health issues, such as worthlessness, sleeplessness nights, unhappiness and an inability to face problems.
"Our study shows that the longer people spend commuting in cars, the worse their psychological wellbeing. And correspondingly, people feel better when they have a longer walk to work," Martin concluded. "This research shows that if new projects such as London's proposed segregated cycleways, or public transport schemes such as Crossrail, were to encourage commuters to walk or cycle more regularly, then there could be noticeable mental health benefits."
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First Posted: Sep 15, 2014 11:48 AM EDT
Over the years, your work commute can take a mental and physical toll on your well-being. For many, this has probably involved a significant amount of time in the car and sometimes in heavy traffic, which can be insanely stressful. For others, it may involve time spent in a taxi or subway that can be just as bad.
Recent findings published in the journal Preventive Medicine show that if it's possible, opting for a more healthy commute can be more beneficial for the mind and the body; walking or riding a bike to work, in this case, is always going to be the "healthiest" option.
"One surprising finding was that commuters reported feeling better when travelling by public transport, compared to driving," said lead study author Adam Martin, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, in a news release. "You might think that things like disruption to services or crowds of commuters might have been a cause of considerable stress. But as buses or trains also give people time to relax, read, socialise, and there is usually an associated walk to the bus stop or railway station, it appears to cheer people up."
For the study, researchers analyzed 18 years of data on almost 18,000 18-65-year-old commuters in Britain, including multiple aspects of psychological health issues, such as worthlessness, sleeplessness nights, unhappiness and an inability to face problems.
"Our study shows that the longer people spend commuting in cars, the worse their psychological wellbeing. And correspondingly, people feel better when they have a longer walk to work," Martin concluded. "This research shows that if new projects such as London's proposed segregated cycleways, or public transport schemes such as Crossrail, were to encourage commuters to walk or cycle more regularly, then there could be noticeable mental health benefits."
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone