Ways to start enjoying your commute!

By Gene Myers

According to happiness research professionals—and yes, there are such people—people are most unhappy when they are commuting. If your commute takes an hour, that two hours a day adds up to almost 22 days a year spent being miserable.

But what choice do we have? Surprisingly, there are more than you’d think. First off, take control. Don't drive into a jam if you don’t have to. Does your job offer flextime? If so, then why not work out a schedule that would allow you to skip rush hour altogether?

If that’s not an option, track your trip virtually. Local TV and radio news stations can be of some help, but Google Maps (a Web application that you can install on your cell phone) and Web cams can show you jam-ups in real-time.

No way to avoid the congestion? You can still make your situation better. It’s your car—your space! Wish you had more quiet time to think? They make aromatherapy scents that you can plug in to your car’s cigarette lighter.

Why not turn off the radio and listen to yourself breathing deeply with the help of a soothing sent? Not the meditative type? Crank up the loud, obnoxious music they won't tolerate at home.

OK, singing in the car—who hasn’t thought of that? But have you ever considered exercising in the car?

On the eHow Web site, Sports and Fitness Editor Kristen Knight offers some creative ideas.

“You may think it's impossible or even silly to try to work out in your car, but a few simple exercises can help you burn calories, reduce stiffness in your joints, and may even have you laughing your way along the highway,” she writes.

Step 1: Squeeze and release: the most common exercises that can easily be done in the car are called isometric contractions. They involve squeezing or activating your muscle, holding the contraction for a few seconds, then release.

Step 2: Release tension in your neck and shoulders with shoulder shrugs. Lift your shoulders up toward your ears, hold for 8 to 10 seconds, and lower. Repeat.

Step 3: Keep your tush from getting numb by squeezing your gluteal muscles, hold for a count of 10, then relax. Repeat.

Step 4: Strengthen your inner thighs. Place a small pillow between your feet. Try to lift the item off the ground and squeeze your legs together at the same time. You can also place the pillow or other soft object between your knees and squeeze.

Step 5: Toe raises will help work the muscles on the front of your shins. Lift toes, hold 10 seconds, relax and repeat.

Step 6: Place a bag or stack of magazines on your lap to perform heel raises. Lift heels, hold for 8-10 seconds. Relax then repeat.

Step 7: Hold onto the handle above window and engage the biceps as though you're going to pull yourself out of your seat. Hold for 8-10 seconds, then relax. Switch seats, if possible, after a rest stop to work the other arm.

Step 8: Squeeze your abdominal muscles as though you're trying to touch your ribs to your stomach, then release and sit up tall.

Or, you could get a mental workout. Your local library has plenty of books on tape and CDs that you could listen to during the commute. You could learn a language, become enlightened listening to the Dalai Lama or catch up on guilty pleasures like Danielle Steele.

There’s one more element to consider. If you’re like my wife and you spend that hour commuting on a bus or train, you have even more options to choose from. You could plan your day or the week’s meals and shopping. You could get a jump on your workday using a laptop. You could even watch DVDs on the laptop.

If you use mass transit, you have one other option that isn’t available to those of us who drive. You could nap!

If sleeping the ride away is your pleasure, there is an iPhone application called iNap. The program uses the phone's built-in GPS to track your location and it will set off an alarm when you near your destination.

I’ll leave you with this Roy M. Goodman quote: “Remember that happiness is a way of travel — not a destination.”