A McGill University study says walking to work creates less stress, driving the most.
Getting to work in the morning is a necessity, but new research says that how you get there may affect your health.
In a study published this summer in the journal Transportation Research, researchers from Montreal’s McGill University surveyed almost 4,000 people about how they commute to work or school. Despite the cold Canadian winters, people who walked reported the least stress, with people riding public transit just behind.
Drivers reported by far the highest stress levels, according to a Gizmodo report.
This is not the first study to equate commuting by car with increased stress levels. A 1998 study found that people who drove to work had significantly higher heart rates and blood pressure, and a harder time tolerating frustration than those who took the bus.
A 2012 study found even more dire health issues related to long commutes by car. Looking at 4,200 drivers over several years, the research found that those with longer car commutes had worse cardio-respiratory fitness, higher blood pressure, and were more likely to be overweight.
In fact, research has shown that every hour spent in the car makes a person 6 percent more likely to be obese, while every hour spent walking reduces your odds of being overweight by almost 5 percent.
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