People who walk to work are less stressed

The daily commute can leave employees tired before they even get to the office, but new research shows those who walk to work feel more energised and less stressed.

A study conducted by ASICS shows those who take the train, tube, or bus are three times more stressed and twice as tired as those who walk to work. Rather than draining their energy, eight in 10 say they feel more rejuvenated when they get to the office on foot.

The average UK commute is one hour, and more than half those polled believe they would be in a better mood if they could walk to work. With busy schedules preventing more than half of office workers from exercising, 44% say walking is the only work-out they get, while 18% go the gym when they can, 11% run on a regular basis and 9% prefer to cycle.

Despite such a low number getting regular exercise, 94% of those who took part in the survey acknowledge the fact that physical activity helps them relieve stress, while 83% enjoy the ‘me time’ they get while exercising.

The study found that those who keep active are happier than those who don’t, with 60% of those who exercise daily reporting a good mood compared to the 41% of those who lead a more sedentary life. Lack of time is the biggest excuse for not working out, cited by 73% of UK adults.

ASICS Corporation conducted the research after partnering with the 2017 International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) World Championships in London to launch #IMoveLondon. Paul Miles, spokesman for ASICS said: “We know that movement helps you get the most out of life – helping you to feel good in your mind and your body. We also know how tough it can be to find the time to get the benefit of exercise into our increasingly busy lives.

“We’re all inspired by the amazing athletes taking part in the IAAF World Championships in London this summer. With #IMoveLondon, we want to spread that inspiration by helping Londoners to swap the time they’d normally be commuting to enjoy the benefits of exercise by getting active in their exceptional city.”

Seb Coe, President for IAAF said: “With the IAAF World Championships coming to London from 4-13 August, it’s more important than ever to get the host city moving more.

“We’re extremely excited to work with ASICS on a campaign that will encourage Londoners to positively disrupt their everyday lives with exercise – even long after the championships have finished.”