Commuting is a fact of life for millions of professionals. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the average person in the United States spends 26.1 minutes getting to work, while Statistics Canada notes the average Canadian spends 26.2 minutes getting to the office.
Few people enjoy commuting. In fact, a 2004 study published in the journal Science found that female commuters cited commuting as their least satisfying daily activity, ranking it below housework. Perhaps that’s because commuting, whether commuters recognize it or not, tends to have adverse effects on their overall health. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Urban Health found that longer commutes are associated with behavioral patterns that may contribute to obesity and other negative health conditions.
Commuters who live close to work can counter some of the negative effects of commuting by cycling to work. Cycling is a healthy activity that the Harvard Medical School notes can help people build muscle and increase bone density, which naturally decreases with age.
