Amenities Key to Walking, Fitness

Posted by: Tim Halbur

20 April 2009 - 11:00am

People who live within walking distance of amenities like stores, transit stops, and parks are twice as likely to be fit as those who don't, according to a new study conducted by researchers at San Diego State University.

"Looking at data from 11,541 survey participants in 11 countries, which included the United States Lithuania, Brazil, Sweden and Japan, researchers from San Diego State University found a strong correlation between sidewalks and exercise.

"Our study had a great deal of variation in neighborhoods," lead author James Sallis, Ph.D., a professor at the San Diego State University, said in a statement. "We found that amenities were strongly related to exercise levels, even in this group of culturally very diverse countries."

When Sallis compared neighborhoods that had activity-friendly amenities to those that didn't, he found that people who lived in neighborhoods with options for activities had a better higher chance of getting enough exercise."

Full Story: Research Finds City Sidewalks Key Exercise Equipment For Residents

Source: Gant Daily, April 20, 2009