In taking up a new job, very few people give thought to the length of time it might take to get to the place of work each day. The thought of driving long distances to the place of work or good accessible public transport does not come to mind either.
The daily commute to work is peculiar to many people, but for those who travel long distances, the decision to do so is usually a difficult one. For instance, many people who work, say, in the city like Abuja do so for reasons ranging from the need for a job that supports their lifestyle, job loss to professional dictates of their job.
Often times, the choice of job is influenced by factors such as money, prestige, fancied car and more material goods, and at the expense of other factors such as their health, personal relationships and social connections.
Conversely, some individuals deem it necessary to make a long distance journey because they wouldn’t be able to afford the cost of housing, if they live closer to the city in which they work. Other individuals live in their personal houses located in the hinterland, and as such commute long distances to their workplace.
What is the cost of long hours of commuting and do they have any alternative solutions? The effects of commuting are very plain to see, as they contribute to air pollution, global warming, urban sprawl and traffic congestion. But the biggest effects of driving long distances to work have to do with stress-related health issues, its impact upon personal relationships and performance at work.
What is more, long hours of commuting have its hidden costs and consequences, especially when an individual needs to drive. Researchers in a new study suggested that travelling long distances to work was associated with high blood pressure, increased anger, and resentment at work, lateness, and in ability to concentrate and perform to the same standards as those who live in much closer proximity to the workplace. It can also increase the risk of health problems such as heart attacks, depression and low back pain.
Exercise habits, body mass index, waist size, cholesterol and blood pressure were measured. Self-reported participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity over the previous three months was also assessed.
The study found that people who drove longer distances to work reported less frequent participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity and had higher body weight, lower fitness levels and higher blood pressure, all of which are strong predictors of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
Those who commuted more than 15 miles to work were less likely to meet recommendations for moderate to vigorous physical activity, and had a higher likelihood of obesity. Commuting distances greater than 10 miles were associated with high blood pressure.
The study, which yielded information on commuting distance, an understudied contributor to sedentary behaviour that is prevalent among employed adults, found that obesity was associated with a commute of more than 15 miles, irrespective of the gender.
The researchers explained that people who drove long distances to work were more likely to be overweight, have high blood pressure and lower fitness levels because they had less discretionary time to be physically active or burn fewer calories because they were sitting longer.
Stress is the greater problem associated with long commuting. Under stress, a lot of things can go wrong, even physically. Someone that is under stress is usually on the edge; it affects his or her performance at work and even at home. Such a person will be very irritable, may take offence easily and as such relationship with clients and co-workers may be adversely affected. such individuals can experience effects of stress such as headache and heart palpitations. In some instance, stress itself can lead to hypertension and peptic ulcer.
, suggesting that long commuters were at risk of back aches because they sit for a long period of time, declared that back aches can contribute to low productivity at the work place.
In addition, he said that “if you sit for too long, say as a result of having to travel long distances to work, you are more or less sedentary. And that can also prone to accumulation of excess body fat. Being overweight has many health challenges such as hypertension and diabetes.”
Having to travel long distances to work overtime can affect a person’s expenditure. “If an individual has driven long distances every day, he will probably spend more money on fuel; it will eat into the money that is available to provide for one’s needs as well as family needs. At the end of the month, one may not be balanced financially as one should be and that in fact may be the beginning of other social problems.There may be tension in the home because money is not available for certain things or meet other extended family needs.”
However, commuting by automobile represents only one of many forms of sedentary behaviour, and this study did not examine other important contributors such as occupational sitting and television viewing. Also, future studies are needed to assess sedentary time across multiple behaviours to identify the independent effects of commuting on health.
Certainly, for some individuals, long commuting to work cannot be avoided. Barring relocation closer to the office, experts suggested finding ways of building physical activities daily. These includes the use of the parking spot farthest away from the door and taking a walk during lunch breaks.
Source:tribune
