Updated Trends: A new study has mentioned that long commutes to work, which are particularly more than ten miles might be hazardous to health. These are also associated with increased weight, bigger waistlines and poorer heart and lung fitness.
The researchers at the Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri observed nearly 4,300 commuters and found that people who travelled about ten miles to work were more prone to develop high blood pressure problems and workers commuting 15 miles were at greater risk of being overweight as they do not get enough exercise.
Christine Hoehner, the lead researcher of the study said, “The main finding is that the study was the first to show that long commutes can take away from exercise and are associated with higher weight, lower fitness levels and higher blood pressure, and all of these are strong predictors of cardiovascular disease,diabetes and some cancers.”
It has been observed in the US census figures that over the past four decades, Americans are commuting longer distances with an average commuting time of 20-25 minutes.
The heart, lung and body mass index was also calculated in the study which helps in measuring the waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar and fat in the blood.
