We all know Wellington is the coolest little capital in the world, but now it's also the most active, according to a new international survey.
The city came out on top compared to 14 other cities in 10 countries, in terms of the amount of physical activity residents do around their neighbourhoods.
In all, 6822 adults aged between 18 and 66 in countries from the International Physical activity and Environment Network took part by wearing accelerometers around their waists for a minimum of four days.
The cities and regions included Ghent in Belgium, Curitiba in Brazil, Bogota in Colombia, Olomouc in Czech Republic, Aarhus in Denmark, Hong Kong, Cuernavaca in Mexico, Auckland's North Shore, Waitakere, Wellington and Christchurch, Stoke-on-Trent in the UK, and Seattle and Baltimore in the US.
The researchers mapped out the neighbourhood features of the participants' homes including residential density, the number of street intersections, public transport stops, parks, mixed land use and the nearest public transport points.
Their results were published in The Lancet today.
It found on average, participants across the study did 37 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity equivalent to a brisk walk.
Wellingtonians walked all over that figure with 50.1 minutes a day, while Baltimore was more sluggish with 29.2 minutes a day.
The difference between the most and least active friendly neighbourhoods ranged from 68-89 minutes a week, or between 45-59 percent of the recommended 150 minutes a week.
High residential density, the number of intersections, public transport stops and parks within walking distance were the main factors strongly associated with increased physical activity.
The researchers controlled factors including age, sex, marital and employment status, and whether the neighbourhoods were high or low income.
Lead author Professor James Sallis from the University of California says neighbourhoods with high residential density tend to have connected streets, shops and services, making it more appealing for people to walk to them.
He says the distance to the nearest transport stop wasn't associated with higher levels of physical activity, but the number of nearby transport stops was.
"This might mean that with more options, people are more likely to walk further to get to a transport stop that best meets their needs," he says.
"The number of local parks was also important since parks not only provide places for sport, but also a pleasant environment to walk in."
Among the other cities, Hong Kong showed above average levels of physical activity similar to New Zealand, despite the humid climate which makes it less likely for people to want to move around.
Prof Sallis says cities should strive to be more activity friendly because it could improve public health and encourage exercise.
"Physical inactivity has been linked to diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Creating healthier cities could have an important impact on improving levels of physical activity."
He suggests public health agencies work with urban planners, transport and parks and recreation sectors to help encourage physical activity.
Newshub.
