The pandemic has opened the eyes of many to the benefits of running or cycling to work – or “active commuting” – and some have continued the habit.
Passengers, who are no longer satisfied with long journeys or boring train journeys, are looking for ways to make their journeys more efficient and enjoyable.
Six people share how they make the most of their commutes.
‘I never use the same route two days in a row’
William Macdonald, 51, is making a point of changing his commute. The Scottish web developer, who has lived in Sweden for 17 years, keeps his trip to his office in Stockholm fresh by “never using the same method or route two days in a row.”
Whether it’s cycling, running, or even swimming along the way before hopping on a boat, it makes Macdonald feel like she’s making the most of her day. “I sometimes bike there in the summer and swim in the heated pool on my way to work. “I cycle all year round as long as there are no big snowdrifts,” he says.
“I’m just doing this for some variety; Sometimes it can be a little depressing to get on the same train and see the same people every morning. You can make one kind of adventure another focus of the day… It adds a specialness to the day. Otherwise, the commute is just a small step to spending the entire day in the office.”
Macdonald’s job gives him the option of working from home some days, and he often goes mountain biking in a nearby forest. “Sometimes I go cross-country skiing on my lunch break!”
‘Roller skating is a full-body workout’
Miguel Ramirez, 35, a personal trainer and skating instructor in New York, has been skating for work on the city’s streets for the past 12 years.
“Inline skating is a full-body workout. It also requires a lot of balance, coordination and flexibility. Great for short and medium distances. And hybrid commuting is a breeze. “You can easily hop on the train or bus,” he says.
Ramirez says skating is a more practical option than you might think. “A lot of places let you skate indoors, so things like grocery shopping or picking up something from the deli are a lot quicker.”
But he doesn’t recommend that everyone commute to work by rollerblades. “You need to be closer to mid-range because we don’t have mechanical brakes like on a bike. But it is manageable.”
It has avoided any collisions so far. “I’m pretty defensive when I’m skating. I’m always looking outside. “I assume everyone will crush me, so I keep my distance.”
‘We had a journey of sewing, knitting and needle lace’
Angela, 58, was working on craft projects with a colleague while commuting to her engineering job until she retired in 2020.
It all started one day when a co-worker boarded the train with a crochet project. “This has encouraged sewing, knitting and needlework commuting,” said Angela, who lives in Belgium. They continued this for eight years until her colleague retrained and Angela retired soon after.
“The highlight of our days was doing something on the train. We would burst out laughing; people would come and join us and chat. It was a really nice commuting experience; Before that, I spent my commute looking at reports, but it wasn’t that much fun.
“Once upon a time, I was making curtains that I would drag piece by piece to the train to sew by hand; Another time, in the train toilet, she wore a half-finished dress to fit me perfectly. “The whole adventure has made the commute something we both look forward to.”
The two had been in contact since leaving their workplaces. “We just met on the train but we really became friends. The culmination, the great climax of our creations together, was sewing her wedding dress together; Not on the train though!”
‘I practice Italian for about an hour and a half’
Kevin Donnelly, 40, a geneticist in Edinburgh, uses his daily walks to improve his Italian skills and can be heard repeating key phrases from his language-learning audiobooks.
“It’s great,” he says. “People think I’m on the phone. I pretend to chat in Italian among the crowd. Of course, any Italian will understand that I repeatedly asked for directions to the station.
“Cycling in Edinburgh is sometimes an absolutely painful experience. Walking clears my head and improves my mood.
“I train for about an hour and a half and there is no other way I can achieve this. “In just over a month, I can apparently speak more French than I could in the four years I studied at school.”
‘Much more efficient than a road bike’
In 2015, Heinrich Neumann from Nordhorn, Germany, gave up his electric bike and preferred a velomobile (human-powered vehicle). The 63-year-old has since been traveling up to 38 km (24 miles) to hospitals where he works as a doctor.
“With just your own power and this aerodynamic fairing, it’s so much more efficient than a road bike. It’s incredible.” One time, Neumann took the car to work because he was running late, but it took him even longer.
What do coworkers think about the velomobile? “Mixed. They’re a little jealous because they can’t get the fitness training I do. But I couldn’t convince my colleagues [to do it].
“It’s a lot of fun. Provides optimum protection against weather conditions as long as the roads are not completely covered with ice or snow. And even if you crash, there’s a structure around you that absorbs most of the impact.”
‘Audiobooks relieved my stress’
Roberta Jones, 70, has discovered over the years that listening to books makes her commute more enjoyable. She listened to nearly 1,000 audiobooks, starting with cassettes and then CDs before moving to Audible in 2005.
“I listened to about 1,000 books on audio that I would never have had the time to read otherwise,” says Jones, a self-employed consultant in Sacramento, California. “Driving to and from work, I flew to other planets, expanded my awareness, learned a lot, and discovered the classics.”
He has now continued his routine of listening to audiobooks while working from home. She recalls that it helped her de-stress in the car: “It’s a great way to relax after a stressful day at work; When you get home, you’ll be calm enough not to ruin your evening. ”
Commute times have changed over the years but have always been over an hour. “In the beginning, the commute was pretty brutal with nothing to focus on but the traffic around you. [Audiobooks] It relieved my stress a lot and was also very fun and informative. “It was a win-win situation.”