Story highlights The farther you commute the more likely you are to be overweight

Those who travel work on foot have better mental health scores

Length of car commutes is tied to elevated blood pressure

(CNN) The average American commute to work lasts 25 minutes, according to U.S. Census data, but many workers travel far above and beyond that number. In Los Angeles, drivers spend an average of 90 hours a year stuck in traffic alone, and employees in New York City spend an average of 48 minutes a day getting to their jobs, often switching trains or busses along the way.

Commuting is rarely anyone's favorite time of day, but it can be more than just an inconvenience: All those hours spent in home-work limbo can have physical and mental health implications, as well. Here are five ways your car, train, or bus ride to the office can affect your wellbeing, plus what to do about it.

It may contribute to weight gain

A 2012 study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that the farther Texas residents commuted every day, the more likely they were to be overweight. Unsurprisingly, the farthest commuters were also less likely to get the recommended amount of daily physical activity. "It's not so easy to move or change your job, so if you do have a long commute it's important that you make a bigger effort to be active during the day," says lead study author Christine Hoehner, PhD. "Take walking breaks, get up from your desk often, take the stairs, and make it a priority to exercise whenever you do have time."

If you can, it might also be a good idea to try public transportation: men and women who drove to work weighed about 6.6 and 5.5 pounds more, respectively, than their peers who walked, cycled, or took trains or buses, a 2014 study in The BMJ found.

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