A journey that never ends

Stressed Commuters

How often do we crib about travelling a long distance to reach our destination and that it takes all our time? There are certain people who travel from one corner of the City to the other every other day.

Metrolife interacted with some of them to find out the health issues they face due to their daily commuting. 

Asha Sharath, who works with an NGO, lives past the IIM-B on Bannerghatta Road and travels to Banaswadi on work, a whopping 50 kilometres totally! “Luckily, my work is flexible and I can do it from home.

If I had to go to office everyday, it would have been really hard as there is no proper public transport,” she notes. “But there are times when I have to go many times to office and I’m exhausted by the time I reach work.” she adds.

She points out that though distance is one thing, battling the traffic is a different ballgame altogether.

“I suffer from back, neck and headache due to the constant honking of vehicles on the road. I also experience fatigue by the time I reach my destination,” she says.
Most corporates have the option of working from home and office transport. But the same can’t be said for government employees.

Charlotte Kasthuri Bai is a teacher at Kengeri High School and travels daily to Kengeri from Jai Bharath Nagar near the ITC Factory.

“I generally take a bus to the East Railway Station and then take a train to Mysore and get down near Kengeri,” she says. Waiting for the train is the biggest hardship she faces. “I had also injured my ankle earlier. So the travel, especially jumping from one platform to the other, aggravates the pain.”

Some corporates have a tip or two for the citizens as well as office authorities. Says Shrikantha D K, an employee of IBM who travels from Electronic City to Manyata Tech Park, “All offices should provide a work from home option and transport.”

   While Kiran Kumar, who works for GE Healthcare, feels the citizens themselves are responsible.

   Kiran travels from Bannerghatta Road to Whitefield everyday and is strained by the time he reaches office.

Yet he suggests, “Most of us carry heavy heads from home or work and show this
attitude in traffic, which always leads to road rage. We should be composed and in this way, 25 to 30 per cent of traffic can be reduced and we will have less stress.”

Celebrity nutritionist Ashwini Sukumar says, “Most working people are not able to get the right balance of nutrition due to lack of time and stress itself.So they end up eating in office. Though the quantity of food there might be a lot, the quality is quite poor as these have a lot of oil and spices. This impacts their health on a cumulative basis and they end up getting ulcers and gastroenteritis.”

“So people should plan their meals during their free time and make sure that they consume wholesome dishes with a mix of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals,” she adds.

Ashwini also advises one to indulge in any physical activity for 45 minutes or an hour. “Park your car ahead or get down a few stops before and walk down to your office.

Take the steps and in between the job, take a break and walk around. Also plan more recreational activities like swimming during the weekend. This will work wonders for working professionals in the long run,” she sums up.