People who moved to cities with better walkability logged about 1,100 more steps per day and were nearly twice as likely to meet exercise goals, according to a large U.S. relocation study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday.
Researchers from the University of Washington and Stanford University tracked about 5,500 Americans of all ages and fitness levels as they moved between 1,600 U.S. cities, monitoring their activity for 90 days before and after the move, from 2013 to 2016.
Using smartphone step counts and the Walk Score system, which rates locations from 0 to 100 based on access to amenities like stores, parks and schools, they found that moving from a low-walkability city (48 or less) to a high-walkability one (75 or more) added an average of 1,100 steps a day.
That equated to roughly 11 extra minutes of walking per day, or about one additional hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week.
The biggest jump came from moves to places like New York City, where a Walk Score of 89 translated to daily steps climbing from about 5,600 to 7,000.
In those who moved from low- to high-walkability cities, the proportion who met the U.S. physical activity guidelines increased from 21.5% before relocation to 42.5% after relocation. Many also moved closer to the CDC’s recommended 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week or roughly 8,000 steps of brisk walking.
One group, however, did not see a step-count bump: women over 50. The researchers suggested this could stem from safety concerns, caregiving responsibilities and poor transit access.
In the U.S., more than 8% of all deaths are linked to insufficient physical activity, which is associated with about $117 billion in annual healthcare costs, according to the CDC.