How Long Is Your Commute? 10 Health Impacts of the Drive

The average American's commute is 25.5 minutes says a new report in USA Today.  Mine is 40 minutes. So what?

A study by U.K.'s Office of National Statistics reveals ten ways that our health is affected by our commute, particularly those greater than 30 minutes.

Well shoot.

Here's the list... do any of these "symptoms" sound familiar?

1. Your Anxiety Increases - Higher stress than those with shorter or no commutes.

2. Your Happiness and Life Satisfaction Decline - The lowest levels of happiness and life satisfaction are associated with those that ride a bus 30 minutes or longer, but the study says this is true for anyone regardless of length of commute and regardless of method, including a bike!

3. Your Blood Pressure Spikes - This is particularly true for motorists dealing with heavy traffic or who are frequently "running behind."

4. Your Blood Pressure Rises Over Time - ABC News reports a study of nearly 5,000 Texans saw generally higher blood pressure readings for those that commuted longer distances.

5. Your Cardiovascular Fitness Drops - The Texas study also showed those with longer commutes had lower levels of physical activity.

Get 5 more health impacts of your commute that affect your blood sugar, cholesterol, depression, sleep and general comfort.