‘Lost 8 kgs without trying’: Redditor credits Bengaluru traffic for improved health

Bengaluru traffic pushes professional to healthier lifestyle. (AI-generated image)

Bengaluru has been named the world’s second most congested city in 2025, according to the latest Traffic Index published by Netherlands-based location technology company TomTom. Long travel times and slow-moving traffic remain a daily reality for many residents in India’s tech capital. Amid this a Reddit post has drawn attention for linking city’s traffic to an unexpected personal health improvement.

The post, shared on Reddit’s r/Bengaluru community, described how a professional’s daily commute from Whitefield to Koramangala once took nearly 90 minutes each way. The long hours on the road affected their routine and wellbeing. “I was constantly stressed, eating at my desk, zero exercise,” they wrote.

According to the user, the commute left little time or energy beyond work. Most of the day was spent sitting, either at a desk or in traffic. Meals were often eaten while working, and exercise was absent from the schedule. Over time, the stress and lack of movement became routine.

The change came when the user decided to stop trying to manage the commute in the same way. Instead of travelling to the office every weekday, they shifted to working from home three days a week. This reduced the number of long journeys and allowed them to restructure their mornings.

They started visiting a gym near their home in the mornings and began walking to nearby restaurants instead of relying on food delivery. The redditor mentioned these habits were not part of a deliberate fitness plan but developed naturally as the daily routine changed.

While the Bengaluru traffic remained unchanged, the professional said the impact on health was clear. They claimed their resting heart rate dropped from 82 to 64, and that they lost nearly eight kg without actively trying to lose weight. Reflecting on the shift, the user wrote, “The traffic didn’t get better. I just stopped fighting it.”

The post received wide attention on the platform, with other users responding by sharing their own commuting experiences. Some said that using public transport or walking during their commute had also helped them feel better.

Unpopular opinion: Bengaluru's traffic actually made me healthier byu/Superb-Fan-1074 inBengaluru

One user wrote, “I’ve used the bus to commute for a year. I used to change buses at two stops with a 45-minute commute one way. I actually felt healthy and relaxed during that time.”

Others disagreed with the idea that traffic itself played a role in the improvement. Several users pointed instead to the benefits of working from home. One commented, “The traffic did not make you healthier. The WFH did. Now instead of time spent commuting you’re hitting the gym. Yet another reason why WFH should be mandatory especially for a city like Bangalore.”

Another user echoed the same view, saying, “Now, instead of time spent commuting, you’re hitting the gym. Yet another reason why work from home should be mandatory, especially for a city like Bangalore.”

Disclaimer: This report is based on content shared by users on social media platforms. Moneycontrol has not independently verified the details and does not endorse the claims.