Your weight loss surgeon can provide you with the tools to start losing weight, but it is up to you to start making changes in your day to day life.
When sitting in the car on that half-hour drive to work, you may tap your fingers along with the radio, but that doesn’t count as much of a workout. Then you get to work, where you sit at your desk for an average of eight hours, for five days a week. Then there is the drive home, which is never as quick as the morning commute. When you get home you sit down on the couch, already tired from a long day of emails and traffic. Dinner is served at the table, and soon after it is off to bed so that you are rested enough to start it all over the next day.
Does this sound familiar to you? Think about the routine that was just described. There is no activity—not much movement at all. Add to this the simplicity of grabbing dinner from a drive-thru or the fact that your office elevator drops you off no more than twenty feet from your desk and there is a big chance that you can go a whole day without taking more than a few hundred steps.
This is a problem, especially after gastric bypass surgery. You may not be too surprised to learn that there is a strong correlation between a long commute and obesity related illnesses. A study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that those who drive 15 miles or more to and from work each day were more likely to be obese, and less likely to work out every day. This is a problem for a lot of Americans who can’t do much about where their job is or where their house is. In fact, the U.S Department of Transportation found that the average adults commute is about 15 miles each way.
If you do the math, a 30 minute commute driven twice a day adds up to five hours a week. The average adult works about 50 weeks out of the year, meaning that many adults are spending 250 hours every year in the driver’s seat—and that is not including any traveling around town that isn’t work related.
A long commute could be adding to your sedentary lifestyle, but there are a number of things that you can do about it:
- Carpool: Do you have co-workers that live near you? Carpooling can help you out in a number of ways. Most obviously, splitting the mileage with someone else can cut gas costs in half. However, sitting in the passenger seat instead of the driver’s seat can free you up to move around a lot more. Instead of sitting with your hands on the wheel you can bring a resistance band and do some arm curls in the car. On days that you are driving, share the bands with your co-worker so that they can get the fitness benefits as well.
- Bring a bike: If you are driving along highways or over bridges then biking 15 miles to and from work may not be a good idea, but maybe you can cut that commute in half. Take a look at the parking lots and landmarks that are around the eight or ten mile mark. Is there a place you can park safely? Drop the car off half-way to work and pedal the rest of the way there. You never know—this may actually cut your commute time since you won’t have so much traffic in your way!
Adding activity to your daily routine is important as you are trying to lose weight after gastric bypass surgery. Finding little areas where you can sneak in extra fitness (like your commute) may help you to increase your activity level and help you burn more calories.