Does Living Near The Coast Cause People To Be More Physically Active?

Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
Individuals who live close to the coast tend to be more physically active than those living inland, researchers from the University of Exeter Medical School claim in a new study published online Thursday in the journal Preventative Medicine.
[ Watch the Video: How Can Coastlines Improve Health? ]
As part of their investigation, lead author Dr. Mathew White and his colleagues analyzed data from more than 180,000 men and women from throughout England, examining the amount of exercise that people get through leisure activities. They found that, generally speaking, people living near the coast tended to be in better health.
On the whole, those living near the coast were more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than those living inland. However, the researchers also found that the effect was particularly noticeable on the western coast of the country, but not the eastern coast. They also found that visiting the coast was essential in stimulating physical activity.
“It’s clear that our coastal paths and beaches provide a wonderful resource for encouraging and enabling physical activity,” Dr. White, a lecturer in the university and a social/environmental psychologist by trade, said in a statement. “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,” he added. “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.”
Participants for the study were drawn from Natural England’s Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment Survey (2009–2012), and the data analyzed was based on self-reported physical activity for leisure and transport. Dr. White and his colleagues also accounted for other factors, including age, social status and season. However, they found that none of those characteristics could account for the regional differences in their findings.
“Whilst not everyone can live near a beach, there are around 8 million people in England who live within 5km of the coast,” said co-author Dr. Ben Wheeler, a senior research fellow at the university who specializes in the interplay between environment, socio-economic status and public health.
“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,” he added. “Whilst plenty of questions remain unanswered, our research suggests that government policy needs to ensure these natural spaces are protected and responsibly promoted.”
According to the researchers, current UK guidelines recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week, and health experts suggest that such physical activity can help reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and depression.
Recent research has demonstrated that those living close to a coast tend to be healthier than those living inland, and the authors of the new study suggest that their findings indicate that increased levels of physical activity could help explain why. They added that their study is the largest of its kind to ever be conducted in Europe.
“In general, our findings replicate and extend work from Australia and New Zealand,” Dr. White and his colleagues wrote in their study. “Further work is needed to explain the marked regional differences in the relationship between coastal proximity and physical activity in England to better understand the coast’s potential role as a public health resource.”
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