From stress to burnout Bengaluru’s traffic is usually blamed for being extremely frustrating but what if the city’s worst headache actually pushed one man towards better health?
A Bengaluru professional’s
Reddit post has gone viral after he claimed that the city’s congestion indirectly improved his well-being. Instead of continuing to fight long commutes, he changed his lifestyle and saw measurable health improvements. In a detailed post shared on Reddit, this man described how his daily commute from Whitefield to Koramangala once took close to 90 minutes one way. He said the long travel hours left him exhausted and stressed, forcing him into a sedentary routine with little time for exercise. Meals were often eaten at his desk, and he struggled to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Unpopular opinion: Bengaluru’s traffic actually made me healthier
byu/Superb-Fan-1074 inBengaluru
The turning point came when he stopped trying to fight the commute. Instead of pushing through the daily travel, he began working from home three days a week. He also joined a gym near his residence and started exercising early in the morning. Additionally, he changed his eating habits by walking to nearby restaurants instead of relying on food delivery apps.
Even though traffic conditions in the city remained unchanged, the man said his health improved noticeably. He claimed his resting heart rate dropped from 82 to 64, and he lost nearly eight kilograms without making any drastic effort to lose weight. He wrote that traffic did not get better, but his response to it did.
The post quickly gained traction online, prompting a wide range of responses from users. Many shared similar experiences, with one user recalling how using public buses for a year with a 45-minute commute involving multiple stops made them feel healthier and more relaxed.
However, not everyone agreed with the original claim. Some argued that traffic was not the cause of the health benefits, pointing instead to flexible work arrangements. One comment suggested that working from home, rather than traffic, created the time and space for exercise and better habits. Others said the discussion highlighted a deeper issue of work culture, long commutes and urban burnout in major cities such as Bengaluru.
The conversation eventually widened into a broader debate on whether flexible work options could be the key to healthier urban living, especially in cities notorious for congestion.
