According to a new study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, your neighborhood may play a role in how fit you may be. Studies indicate that individuals living in older neighborhoods are often more fit

“The older neighborhoods had a reduced level of obesity because they were generally built with the pedestrian in mind and not cars,” said Ken Smith, a co-author of the study and professor in the department of family and consumer studies at the University of Utah in an interview with MSNBC. “This means they have trees, sidewalks and offer a pleasant environment in which to walk.”

Not surprisingly and as reported on treehugger.com, some of the metro areas that scored best in the ACSM American Fitness Index (AFI), were also deemed as “most walkable” by Walk Score. In fact, San Francisco was ranked highest by Walk Score and finished at the top of the inaugural edition of the AFI.

Walking is a great way to get daily exercise. If you need a little encouragement, consider walking and combining chores at the same time. Walk the dog, walk to the grocery store or walk to pick up/drop off dry cleaning.

ACSM recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five days per week for healthy adults. The guidelines also state that physical activity can be broken up in 10-minute bouts and be as effective as one longer session, a recommendation confirmed by another study on the effects of brisk walking on hypertension.