LIRR Used To Illustrate How Commuting Is Bad For Your Health

Mention the Long Island Rail Road to commuters these days, and you'll probably get lots of groans and exasperated sighs. It seems the commuter rail — one of the most-used in the country — has nothing but problems day in and day out. So it's probably no surprise that the popular YouTube channel Vox used it for a story about the negative health effects of commuting.

Titled, "It's not you. Commuting is bad for your health," the video followed a Vox reporter as she started her day on Long Island, commuted to the city, and then made it back home (hopefully before 9 p.m.). It also explored the various health effects of commuting, including the increased likelihood of obesity, depression and a host of other medical conditions.

Reporter Kimberly Mas's day is like that of many Long Islanders: she drives to the train station, takes the train into Penn Station, then hops on a subway to the stop nearest her office, then walks the rest of the way, only to do it all in reverse a few hours later to get home.

The video has racked up nearly 900,000 views since it was posted on Monday, and is currently one of YouTube's trending videos. It has also created spirited debates about whether commuting is bad, or if it's good for creating personal time during the day.

But what do you think? Do you enjoy your commute, or is it the worst part of your day? Let us know in the comments.

Photo: Vox/Youtube