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The charity making life better by water

A calmer commute

Using our canals as part of your daily commute can give you a sense of wellbeing that no car or bus journey could. Our 2,000 miles of towpaths are open all day, every day so you can use them to walk, run or cycle whenever you need them.

Walking along the canal

If you're a daily commuter, you're probably familiar with traffic jams, road rage, overcrowded trains and buses, and delays beyond your control that can make you late for work.

A recent survey by the TUC showed that the average worker in the UK spends 27 days every year commuting to and from work. A stressful journey is no way to start or end the day.

A few simple changes to your daily routine could save you money, improve your health and make you feel better about your whole day. How you travel to and from work is more than just the time it takes. It's a space that can let you breath and concentrate better for the whole of the working day, and then relax when you're back home again.

Walking

Our canals or rivers can often provide an alternative to busy road routes. Have a look for your office on our canal and river map and see if you could reach it by using one of our towpaths.

Even if you don't live next to one of our canals could you park a little way away from your office and walk the last part of your journey along the canal? It may take a little longer, but you'll arrive at work far more refreshed than if you had spent the past 20 minutes competing for a parking space.

Try it for a week and we'll think it will become your new favourite healthy habit.

Cycling

Our canals are the perfect place for considerate cyclists to commute to and from the office. Away from road fumes and traffic jams, our towpaths connect many residential areas to town centre offices and industrial parks.

As well as making you feel better about life, cycling to work contributes to your recommended two and a half hours of exercise each week and cuts the risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and strokes.

Find out if you could include some canal in your commute by looking at a map of our waterway network.

Your stories

We'd love to hear about your favourite canal commute. Get in touch with us on Twitter and tell us why you love commuting along your local waterway.

Here are some of the commutes that you've already been telling us about.

Last Edited: 12 July 2019

photo of a location on the canals
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