<p>Urban commuters increasingly face chronic stress, a known risk factor for cardiovascular and mental health issues. Active travel modes—such as walking or cycling—can potentially mitigate stress by integrating physical activity into daily routines; however, their effect on autonomic stress regulation remains unclear. This study aims to examine how different commuting modes influence autonomic nervous system recovery from stress in real-world urban environments. We analyzed minute-by-minute heart rate variability (HRV) data collected by wearable devices from 200 urban commuters in Beijing over 1 week, capturing HRV before, during, and after daily commutes. Active commuters demonstrated a 7.6% faster return to baseline HRV compared with passive commuters, indicating a more rapid recovery from commuting-induced stress. Notably, while overall active commuting supported faster recovery, higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during the commute were associated with slower short-term recovery, suggesting that the intensity of exertion matters. These findings highlight that active commuting enhances both physical fitness and stress resilience, while emphasizing the importance of comfortable, moderate-intensity active travel conditions. The results support targeted investments in pedestrian and cycling infrastructure—particularly routes that are safe, connected, and designed to avoid excessive physical strain—to foster healthier, less stressed urban populations.</p>