‘With long commutes, Chennaiites have slim chance of staying healthy’

Returning home using the same modes of transport, she is often completely exhausted, with neither the energy nor the time to focus on her health. 

Parvathy is only one among 69 per cent in the city who feel that they spend long hours on their daily commute, which is a reason they do not get time to put in the required efforts to stay heart healthy – according to a recent study. Emphasising the importance of prioritising one’s health over everything else, cardiologists say that awareness on the same is not lacking, however, it has not translated into action. 

Stating that the study findings are partially true, Dr Kumar S, a cardiologist said, “People, especially today’s youngsters, are so caught up with work, that they fail to spare time for themselves. The little time that they have goes into sleeping or partying. Focussing on one’s own health should be a priority.” 

While the link between cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases is thought to be a myth now, studies that have been conducted in the United States say the need of the hour is to pay attention to less fat intake. People must learn to eat raw salads in case they cannot make a cooked vegetable dish. 

Carry a cucumber, carrot, tomato with you and eat it. Also, whole fruits like a guava or a pear – based on the season – will help,” said renowned dietician Dr Dharini Krishnan. With people complaining of the lack of time, she said they can carry fruits like a papaya, along with a spoon, and merely scoop it out during lunch break. 

With exercise forming an essential aspect of healthy lifestyle and the need to factor it in daily, she said, “Avoid using lifts. Instead, use the stairs. If you are taking the public transport, get off at the stop before your destination and walk the rest of the way. Over the course of your day, try to exercise for at least 30 to 40 minutes. 

Planning to go for walks after returning home from work may not work out always. Try to integrate exercise in your daily work.” The study, by Saffolalife, was conducted in Chennai Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. Interestingly, it also found that the temptation for tasty food and eating out was another barrier to staying healthy. 

Also, while women said that time spent in household work served as a big barrier, men said that job stress and the lack of sleep hours were the major reasons for their inability to put in efforts to stay healthy.