Staying Healthy
Busier equals better for physical activity levels
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
The more places you visit each day — such as when you're shopping or running errands — the higher your step counts, a new study suggests.
The study, published in the September/October 2022 issue of Geriatric Nursing, tracked 133 older adults in Japan (average age 73, two-thirds women) over 14 days using GPS sensors and accelerometers. Participants visited an average of 2.5 places each day, spending an average of 3.5 hours outside their homes while doing so. Each additional place visited equated to an additional 1,324 steps taken that day. Out-of-home time by itself didn't appear to influence step counts.
While more than 90% of the people in the study drove a car during their daily lives, adding destinations likely led to an overall increase in physical activity, according to researchers. They said the results suggest that the number of places we go each day is a potentially important contributor to healthier habits.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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