10 tips for a healthier, happier trip

Did you know that Australians spend an average of four hours and 20 minutes commuting every week¹?

For some (around one in five of us), that commute is more than 90 minutes a day².

It’s not just the time it takes: commuting can have an impact on your health. Reports from the UK³ and the US⁴ found that commuting can result in higher blood sugar and cholesterol levels, increased risk of depression, anxiety and stress, plus lower levels of happiness.

Wow. All that just to get to work or Uni.

The good news is that there are some simple tips to make the commute easier, more comfortable - and healthier.

Here are our top ten tips:

1. Sit up straight

It’s easy to slouch - in a chair, a train seat or in the car. That can affect your spine, and increase the chance of headaches, neck and back pain.

Sit up straight, square your shoulders, put your feet flat on the floor. If you can, try sitting on the edge of your seat. When driving, angle the rear view mirror so you have to sit up straight to look into it. 

2. Get there early

Unexpected delays can leave you feeling stressed and anxious. Try leaving 10 or even 20 minutes earlier.

When you get to where you want to go, enjoy the extra time sitting in a café or outdoors. It’s not about getting to work earlier, but reducing the stress and rush of the commute. 

3. Snacks

Snack with a purpose, not just to fill in the time. Avoid the temptation of a packet of chips on the way home (or worse: that chocolate bar!).

Pack some dried fruit, fresh fruit or crisp veggies as a way to boost your metabolism and increase your energy.

4. Turn off technology

Using your time on a bus, train or ferry to check work emails? Don’t. It’s just going to start the stress and pressures of work earlier. Use the time for you. 

5. Listen to a podcast

What if you could learn a language, catch a university lecture or listen to a book? Your 200+ hours a year commuting can be a fun, interesting and informative time. 

Check out iTunes U for free podcasts on almost any subject from universities like Oxford, Yale, Stanford and MIT.

Try this list of 51 Smart Commutes for the Commute, 21 Essential Podcasts or 5 Podcasts from The Everygirl.

6. Share the ride

If you drive to work or Uni, try sharing the ride. You’re bound to have stimulating conversations. Much better than sitting on your own. And it’s good for the environment, too.

7. Water

Stay hydrated: pack a bottle of water. Buy a reusable bottle and keep it topped up. Being dehydrated can make you sleepy - you don't want to nod off and miss your stop.

8. Bathroom before you leave

There’s nothing quite as stressful as being stuck on a train, bus or tram - or in the car - with a full bladder. Make it part of your routine to visit the bathroom before you leave.

9. Shorten the trip, and walk the rest

Get off a stop or two early, or park further away from your destination. Even an extra ten minute walk is going to be good for your heart, your brain and your mood.

10. Take the scenic route

Yes, it may add a little time to your journey. But why not take a more scenic route? Look at the alternative directions that something like Google Maps gives you. 

It’s great to get off the freeway and explore the areas around it - while still having the purpose of getting to work.

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1. ‘Race against time: How Australians spend their time’, AMP.NATSEM Income and Wealth Report, November 2011

2. HILDA 2013 data, University of Melbourne

3. UK Office of National Statistics

4. University School of Medicine in Saint Louis and the Cooper Institute in Dallas, published in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine