Australians living outside of the major capital cities are much more likely to be overweight or obese, which experts say could have to do with community design that does not promote incidental activity.
Statistics show that in Australian cities, 62 percent of adults are overweight or obese — but head to the outer suburbs and that rate jumps to 67 percent, and 73 percent of adults are overweight or obese in remote areas.
"When you have wider streets, and a greater amount of lanes going towards that suburb, you have a higher prevalence of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease," Dr Nicholas Fuller, research program leader of obesity and metabolic disease programs at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, told Coach.
Dr Fuller says reduced access to public transport and less incidental activity could be playing a part.
"More compact cities give you greater availability of public transport and more accessibility to [fitness] resources and facilities and as a result we do know that relates to a lower level of obesity, diabetes and heart disease," he says.
"Often in the outer suburbs there is a reliance on driving to mega shopping centres where everything is in one spot, and as a result we don't get enough incidental activity. Fast food chains are also more readily accessible."
While intentional exercise, such as going to the gym or playing a sport, is clearly important for our health, Dr Fuller says incidental exercise is equally important – and that's what a lot of people in outer areas struggle to achieve.
"It's important to have a good mix of activity. Incidental is low intensity activity, which is important for increasing the amount of energy we are burning throughout the day," he says.
"But you need to support it with a mixture of moderate or vigorous activity as well."
Here's what to do if you live in the suburbs or regional Australia to ensure you're keeping fit.
Walk as much as possible
Many inner-city residents find that shops, public transport and activities are much closer to home, so they choose to walk or ride to get there.
If you live a long way from where you need to get to, then Dr Fuller suggests driving most of the way and then parking your car to walk the rest.
"Shen you go to the shopping centre, park as far away as possible so you have to walk across the other side of that carpark," he suggests.
Use the internet
If you don't have a gym or fitness studio that appeals to you, then finding online support can be a good way to add structure to your fitness and keep you accountable.
"There are personal training apps and websites that are cheap and really affordable and act like an online coach," Rick Mirabella, running coach and trainer from Runnez HQ, which is in Chelsea Heights in suburban Melbourne, told Coach.
"It will give you a structure so you don't have to guess what to do."
Team up with locals
The beauty of living in the suburbs or regional areas is that there is often a powerful sense of community.
Mirabella suggests tapping into the community power by joining – or starting – a local walking or running group.
"Put something up on Facebook asking for people who want to join a walking group or get some friends around to your backyard or garage and use an app to walk you through a workout," he suggests.
Manage your time efficiently
Dr Fuller says that doing things like shopping in bulk can free up time throughout the week to devote to organised or incidental exercise.
"It's important to allocate your time for things like food shopping more efficiently," Dr Fuller says.
If you feel strapped for time, then Mirabella suggests starting your workout regimen with just a couple of mornings a week.
"Wake up 40 minutes earlier just two days a week so it doesn't become overwhelming," he says.
Force incidental activity
If you don't find yourself walking from A to B very often then Mirabella says you've got to make it happen.
"Set an alarm on your computer or phone to do five minutes of walking every hour," he says.
"Just walk around the office for a few minutes then return to your desk."
If you're based in Sydney and would like to receive weight loss advice from dietitians, psychologists and exercise physiologists at no cost as part of Dr Nicholas Fuller's University of Sydney diabetes prevention study, click here.