People who live in coastal areas tend to be more physically active, a new study finds.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Exeter. The researchers found that those who live close to the coast are more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than inland dwellers.
For the study researchers examined the amount of exercise people get through leisure activities as well as simply getting around. They found that visiting the coast, and not just living near it, helps stimulate physical activities. However, when the researchers broke down the national pattern by region they found that this effect was present in the northwest and southwest of the country but not in any of the east coast regions.
"It's clear that our coastal paths and beaches provide a wonderful resource for encouraging and enabling physical activity. Participants reported a number of activities from simply walking to more obvious exercise such as swimming or running. However, we're unsure why we're only seeing these effects in western regions of the country," Lead author of the study, Dr Mathew White said in a press statement. "Of course, people in the east also exercise but it doesn't seem to be so connected to coastal activities. We might have uncovered untapped potential for east coast resorts and destinations to be used to encourage exercise and promote healthy lifestyles."
The findings were made after researchers took into account influencing factors such as age, social status and season. Physical activities are very important to reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and depression and play an important role in maintaining the health of a person. Currently, experts recommend that individuals should get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week.
"Whilst not everyone can live near a beach, there are around 8 million people in England who live within 5km of the coast. Combined with over 130 million visits a year from those living further inland, it's clear that coastal locations could offer a fantastic opportunity to get more people active," Dr Ben Wheeler, one of the paper's co-authors said. "Whilst plenty of questions remain unanswered, our research suggests that government policy needs to ensure these natural spaces are protected and responsibly promoted."
The findings of the study were published online in the journal Preventive Medicine.
