The average commuter spends 139 hours a year travelling to and from work, while the distances they cover are increasing, according to a new report.

The findings have led researchers to warn of the impact travelling such distances to the office could be having on mental and physical health.

The study, by University of the West of England academics, urged commuters to use the time to "re-energise".

Reading the paper, sleeping or day-dreaming had benefits, they said.

Report authors Professor Glenn Lyons and Dr Kiron Chatterjee questioned 2,955 rail commuters and found that one in four considered it wasted time.

I just did a rough calc of my communting and it equals 73 hours a year - if I calc'd right - math is not my strong point.

I based it on a 5 day working week minus 8 weeks (40 days) holiday per year.

My commute is a ten minute walk each way !

my yearly commute to work time is roughly 274 hours, considering 35 minutes to work, and 35 minutes from. I work about 235 days a year. The mileage is about 52 miles roundtrip.

Is walking to work still considered as commuting, for I always thought that to commute was done with transportation of some kind?

Is walking to work still considered as commuting, for I always thought that to commute was done with transportation of some kind?
anyone? anyone?  Buehler?  personally I think walking counts  ???

anyone? anyone?   Buehler?  personally I think walking counts  ???


In that case, I walk 20 to 25 minutes to work and the same time back again to come back home.

In that case, I walk 20 to 25 minutes to work and the same time back again to come back home.
my dictionary defines commute as to travel regularly over some distance, as from a suburb to a city and back again.

my dictionary defines commute as to travel regularly over some distance, as from a suburb to a city and back again.
So living locally is not included?

I have always considered a commute as being the journey between home and work. So yep I count walking as a commute.

So living locally is not included?
I believe that it is included.


I have always considered a commute as being the journey between home and work. So yep I count walking as a commute.
so there ya go, it's a commute in our estimations  :)

I've been walking more often and traveling by bus lesser.

139 hours?  Good Lord!  That's insane!!  :o

139 hours?  Good Lord!  That's insane!!  :o



It has to be more than 139 hours.

I've been walking more often and traveling by bus lesser.
Walking is cheaper!

139 hours?  Good Lord!  That's insane!!  :o


Whoa.  Hold on.  139 hours in a YEAR....isn't that much.  Let's see...365 days....minus 104 for weekends...261 days minus maybe 15 for other days off..... 247 days.

So 139 hours spread over 247 days is less than an hour a day commuting to and from work.  I don't think that's so bad.  (I drive five minutes each way to my job.  But I drive lots more than that shuttling my kids around.  Try estimating the number of hours a year a soccer mom drives and THEN you'll see some shocking numbers!)

Walking is cheaper!


saves money!

saves money!
...but with more of a cost on shoes.

...but with more of a cost on shoes.



How much?

How much?
A pair of shoes lasting several months, depends on the brand of the product.

A pair of shoes lasting several months, depends on the brand of the product.



If it's a cheaper brand it won't last very long

If it's a cheaper brand it won't last very long


I get my shoes re-soled and re-heeled.

I have one pair of shoes I've been wearing since 1998 that way.  ;)

I get my shoes re-soled and re-heeled.

I have one pair of shoes I've been wearing since 1998 that way.  ;)



8 Years? :o

8 Years? :o


Yep, they are nice leather shoes and the "uppers" are just fine.  In fact I have to take them to the shoe repair place for another heel and sole job.  :)

I have another paid of what appear to be INDESTRUCTIBLE shoes that I bought at a Nordstrom;s outlet for like $29 back in early 2002 that I have worn to work probably 2/3 of the time since then and they still look fine.  Soles and heels are some sort of super polymer stuff.  Best deal I ever got on a par of shoes.  8)

Yep, they are nice leather shoes and the "uppers" are just fine.  In fact I have to take them to the shoe repair place for another heel and sole job.  :)

I have another paid of what appear to be INDESTRUCTIBLE shoes that I bought at a Nordstrom;s outlet for like $29 back in early 2002 that I have worn to work probably 2/3 of the time since then and they still look fine.  Soles and heels are some sort of super polymer stuff.  Best deal I ever got on a par of shoes.  8)



I bet your feet have plenty of bunions. :P

8 Years? :o
Is that 4 years per shoe?

Is that 4 years per shoe?



I don't really know

I bet your feet have plenty of bunions. :P


Nah, I am like Teddy Roosevelt.

I walk softly... and carry a big stick.  ;)

How about 139 Hours a day?

139 hours?  Good Lord!  That's insane!!  :o


Surely ye jest Karen ?  :o :P :P

For me : 2.5 hours per day for 241 days of the year as an approximate = 602.5 hours  :-\\ :-\\

Yet, that's the way it's always been so I don't tend to think about it a lot.  The penalty of living in a larger city, I guess !

As I get older though, I mind it less and less, I can read, listen to music, write song parodies etc etc....you can turn it into a bit of nice time alone if you try  :)

How about 139 Hours a day?
That is too much for me.

I walk 15 mins to the station, have a 15 - 20 min train journey and then walk 10 mins from the station to work, then the other way round at night. If I've done the maths right that 393 hours of commuting including my one saturday in three!

My daily bundle of fun that is 'the commute', works out to approximately 500 hours per year...give or take 15 hours either way, depending on how our archaic transport system decides to behave...


My commute is a ten minute walk each way !


I'm not speaking to you anymore, BMG... ;)

My commute used to be from 2 to three hours each way.  Now it's 12 minutes.

yay!

That is too much for me.



way too much for me too. :P

And the moral of this story is...

...however you get to work, get there using something you enjoy.

Doesn't matter if it's a comfortable pair of walking shoes, a bicycle, a Prius hacked to get 100 miles per gallon by means of installing a plug-in charger, or a bourgemobile that gets ten miles to the gallon with a strong tailwind. 

It takes me one hour to get to work (by city bus) and 1 hour back so assuming my work year (209 days) that would be 418 hours. However If I were to drive there it would probably take me one fourth the time.

And the moral of this story is...

...however you get to work, get there using something you enjoy.

Doesn't matter if it's a comfortable pair of walking shoes, a bicycle, a Prius hacked to get 100 miles per gallon by means of installing a plug-in charger, or a bourgemobile that gets ten miles to the gallon with a strong tailwind. 
Do we all enjoy using an umbrella while commuting when it it is raining?

My daily bundle of fun that is 'the commute', works out to approximately 500 hours per year...give or take 15 hours either way, depending on how our archaic transport system decides to behave...

I'm not speaking to you anymore, BMG... ;)




hehe would it make you feel better if I told you I tripled my mortgage in order to live walking distance from my workplace !!!!

My daily bundle of fun that is 'the commute', works out to approximately 500 hours per year...give or take 15 hours either way, depending on how our archaic transport system decides to behave...

I'm not speaking to you anymore, BMG... ;)


Are you still speaking to me for my commute is only 20 minutes walk away?