Study: Long commutes bad for heart health

Darci Marchese, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – Sitting behind the wheel for hours each day while commuting is bad for your heart and health, according to a new study.

Men who spent more than 10 hours per week in a car, or more than 23 hours watching TV and driving combined, were significantly more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than those who spent less time sitting still, according to the study in the journal “Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise,” MSN.com reports.

For the study, researchers looked at the data on 7,750 men, analyzing the relationship between watching TV or time spent riding in a car and death from cardiovascular disease over a 21-year time span.

The findings suggest those with lengthy commutes should consider options that might reduce the amount of time they spend in their car.

Teleworking, MSN says, is one of those options. For employees who have established themselves at their places of work, suggesting teleworking from home once or twice a week may be a good way to reduce the amount of time they spend driving.

A recent poll finds that about one in four Americans regularly telecommute. Have you worked from home? What’s been your experience? Would you like to work from home? Why or why not? Post a comment in this story, comment on WTOP’s Facebook Page or use #WTOPTalkback on Twitter.

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