A recent study just shown that going to work by subway or bus is much healthier than doing it by private car. A group of researchers has found that people who use public transportation to get to work have a lower risk of diabetes, overweight and hypertension.

Interestingly, it has even more advantages than walking or cycling, the authors note, probably because of the distances to be covered from home to the nearest stop. The tendency to use the car for work is still the majority, although the use of public transport is beginning to gain ground.

Although it may seem unusual, travelling by public transport has emerged as the healthiest way to get to work. And not only that: there are other advantages associated with this mode apart from health.

Major benefits of using public transport on our way to work:

1. Reduced risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and overweight

The study compared bus and train travelers, pedestrians and cyclists, and drivers, and adjusted the results for other factors such as age, sex, smoking, and others. Interestingly, bus/train riders had even lower rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and overweight than those who walked or cycled. The researchers suggest that one explanation may be that these commuters actually walked more to and from the train or bus station than they did on foot or by bike to work and vice versa.

2. Greater economic and time savings for the user

Using public transport is cheaper than the private vehicle, since to the costs of the car itself must be added its maintenance, insurance, parking and fuel.

Not to mention the time invested in commuting to work: in big cities, traffic jams are a daily occurrence, which leads to the search for parking in saturated areas. On the other hand, with public transport, you generally arrive at your destination without complications and without stress.

Not only that: more and more companies are aware of this and offer their employees transport check cards, with the aim of reducing the cost of the journey by taking advantage of the important tax advantages for the use of public transport, while the organization does not increase its costs.

3. Our opportunity to disconnect

We can take advantage of the bus or subway ride to listen to music, read a good book, check our social profiles or simply let our thoughts take over, without having to keep an eye on the traffic or the bike path.

However, we should not forget that peak hours are when the largest number of people are concentrated, so it is highly recommended to be proactive and leave in time for work. Without a doubt, this is a time of pause before and after finishing the work day that we can invest in disconnecting and resting.

4. Betting on sustainability

We are all responsible for living in a healthy environment and public transport is the most ecological alternative for journeys that cannot be made by bicycle or on foot, as the emission of gases is much lower than that of the car.

In this sense, the massive use of the private vehicle collapses the cities and makes them dirtier and noisier. That is why public transport is the ideal alternative for improving urban mobility and largely avoiding traffic jams. It is a small contribution to a more sustainable world.