3 LITTLE THINGS: To make commuting less hellish on your body
More of us are heading back to the office. I've built a survival toolkit. This week it gets put to the test.
Warmup
Tomorrow, I become a commuter again.
After a five-year stint of mostly remote work, I recently took a new job back at the first company I ever worked for — The Wall Street Journal.
It’s a cool position helping build a new Leadership Institute within a 135-year-old brand. I’ll be in the office at least three days a week.
Which means an almost two-hour commute door-to-door each way.
The opportunity is worth it, I believe. But no doubt the train time will challenge my body, workout regimen and nutrition.
Which is why I’ve been building my commuter survival toolkit since the moment I said “yes.” (And I’ll be listening to our new N2L Member playlist - see the Cooldown section below.)
We’ll unpack the toolkit in the Post below, but first …
Let’s Meet in Santa Fe
A newsletter is a great place to get to know each other.
Doing it in person is even better.
From April 14-19, I’m co-hosting an immersive, highly-personalized weeklong workshop at the breathtaking Rising Circle Ranch in the Santa Fe campus of the Modern Elder Academy – named one of the “World’s Greatest Places 2024” by Time magazine.
It’s called “What’s Next? Strategies for a Powerful Pivot.” (< Click for the full curriculum.)
Right now, readers of this newsletter can get 20% off the cost of enrollment with the code PIVOT20.
This intensive workshop is for you if:
You want concentrated 1:1 time mapping out a bulletproof action plan to build something new and challenging into your life — and stick with it.
Want a break from sitting-and-screens to spend time together exploring 30 miles of hiking and running trails on this 2,700 acre ranch.
Are excited to learn and share more together about the themes of this newsletter over fantastic meals at the end of each day.
P.S. there’s horseback riding, hot tubs, a gym & massage,
The co-host is my former WSJ colleague and powerful bestselling author, Joanne Lipman. If you haven’t picked up her book “Next! The Power of Reinvention in Work and Life” — well, you’ll get a signed one in Santa Fe! (Along with my book.)
There’s still time to register here. For a sneak peek at the curriculum, join us at MEA's online Midlife Mastery Summit next Sunday, March 16 at noon Eastern, where you’ll get a jumpstart with our 7 Question Pivot Launchpad.
Post
In a previous newsletter, I covered “3 Little Things: To Make Traveling Less Hellish on the Body.”
Today is about the daily commute conundrum. Companies across America are asking workers to return to the office.
This post isn’t about debating whether this is good or bad. It’s about how to stay healthier while getting back-and-forth to your desk every day.
No boiling the ocean today. Just three simple concepts.
Thing 1: Active Commuting
My primary goal: offset the ravages of sitting on a train for almost 90 minutes twice a day.
Defense #1 is to strap on my GoRuck Ruck Plate Carrier with 20 lbs. for the 15-minute walk between Grand Central Terminal and The Wall Street Journal’s midtown Manhattan office.
Will I look like a righteous you-know-what wearing that into the newsroom? Maybe.
But I’ll take the risk to squeeze in an extra 30-minutes of exercise. (I plan to knock out my main workout in the early AM.)
Other ideas for active commuting:
Walking or biking part or all of the way.
Getting off a stop of the subway early and walking the rest of the way.
Using stairs instead of escalators/elevators in train stations or parking garages. (As a Michael Easter 2% member, I’ll be taking the stairs at Grand Central with my ruck.)
Parking farther from your destination to add extra steps.
Thing 2: A Better Way to Sit
The train forces a terrible sitting position where your knees often end up higher than the hips. Slippery seat coverings don’t help.
Ideally, getting to a 90-degree angle or having the hips slightly higher than knees is better.
My defense: an ergonomic cushion that raises my hips to be almost level with my knees. Here’s one review of different brands.
Do I love the idea of having something extra to pack each day? Nope. But come Sunday when I tackle my 90-minute run, my hamstrings and spine will thank me.
Other defenses to offset sitting:
Seated glute squeezes & core engagement – Activate your muscles while sitting.
Ankle circles - Reduce stiffness.
Neck & shoulder rolls – Lessen tension from long commutes staring at screens.
Standing calf raises & lunges – Do these while waiting for a train or bus.
Thing 3: No Bad Commute Snacks
When I commuted daily by train more than a decade ago, my train-eating habits were terrible.
In the morning, I’d eat a sugary Pop-Tart. On the way home, I often grabbed a big bag of salty popcorn and sometimes a glass of wine or beer to wash down the day’s stress.
No more.
Instead, I’m loading my bag with healthier treats:
Hard-boiled eggs
David protein bars
Maui Nui venison sticks
Momentous chocolate travel protein packs (to mix with milk in my water bottle)
Nuts (I’m allowing myself dill pickle-flavored peanuts my parents send me from North Carolina for the ride home)
Bone broth (to drink before I commute home so I’m not hungry)
Patagonia Wild Pink Salmon in a can (for nights when I end up commuting past dinner time.)
And as always, my water bottle filled with Nuun electrolytes.
Cooldown (w/ music)
Last week, we launched our N2L Member “Not Too Late” music playlist.
This is audio fuel in the “Let’s get it done” spirit. (Read kick-off post.)
We began with 23 songs and now have 48 thanks to additional member suggestions. I dare say we’ve got one of the coolest, most eclectic playlists going right now. I’ll be tuning in on the train with my noise-cancelling headphones.
You can listen:
On Spotify.
On Apple Music.
Note: You may need to create a Spotify or Apple Music account if you don’t have one already.
Today’s N2L Member Pick Spotlight
“Crazy” by Lost Frequencies and Zonderling.
This comes from Fred492911 here on Substack. He writes: “Not quite a run through the wall, amp me up song, but I find it inspirational.”
I’d love your 1-2 song suggestions either by email or in the comments below. I’ll add them to the playlist and highlight your pick in a future newsletter.
Thanks for reading. As always, find something you love. Dig in. Stick with it when things get hard — like when you commute!
Wendy
Sources:
The Wall Street Journal - “Balance of Power Shifts Back Toward Bosses.”
Yale Medicine - “Why is Sitting So Bad for Us?”
Medical News Today - “Sitting Positions for Good Posture.”
The New York Times - “The Best Ergonomic Seat Cushions”
I’d add one legged balance practice to times you are standing and add a Captains of Crush gripper to your kit to work on grip.
An observation on your commitment to use steps instead escalators. I’ve been flying recently and found that at least at SLC and PDX, both new terminals, there are no stairs, only escalators. It used to be on escalators people would stand on the right leaving room to walk up on the left. No more. People are planted and trying walk risks confrontation.
I like to add 5 -10 minutes of soleus pushups when I’m sitting for a long time.