The rate of daily physical activities and exercises may be improved if signs at parks are also improved, a new study suggests.
A RAND Corporation study claimed that modest increases in marketing strategies and outreach to local communities can help increase the amount of physical activity that takes places in parks - a cost-effective way of improving a community's overall health. The research which was published online by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine examined 50 different parks across Los Angeles. Each of the parks were given $4,000 each to spend on efforts to increase the use of parks between 2007 to 2012, according to the LA Times.
They found out that simple interventions such as increase signage can automatically help boost physical activity by seven to 12 percent over the study period compared to parks that did not make any changes. "The study shows that environmental cues influence and change individual behavior, including physical behavior," Dr. Deborah A. Cohen, lead author of the study and a senior natural scientist at RAND said. "When physical activity opportunities and reminders become more obvious, whether they are overt signs or notices for classes or new walking paths, they may lead people to becoming more active, especially if they are already in a park", she added.
It has also been found that although most Americans already live in a community where recreation facilities and parks are already accessible, most of them still do not meet the national guideline for physical activity, according to Science Codex. This recommendation suggests that adults should engage in physical activity for 150 minutes per week while children should exercise for at least 60 minutes per day. Researchers involved in the study suggest that individuals need to be motivated to exercise but also that "there is a large body of evidence indicating that environmental cues influence and change individual behavior, including physical activity."
