(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study shows adults in the Old Order Amish community are six-times more active than average adults.

Researchers from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville studied nearly 100 Amish adults who wore pedometers and logged their physical activities for seven days. Known for living without modern technology and conveniences, Old Order Amish use 19th century farming techniques requiring physical labor. Using accurate, recently developed measurement methods to assess the actual physical activity levels of the participants, researchers set out to determine how the influence of technology affects physical activity levels in modern society.

Results show the Amish have integrated a very high level of physical activity into their daily lives. Amish men report an average of 10 hours of vigorous work each week and take about 18,425 steps a day. Researchers say one man recorded 51,000 steps in one day walking behind a team of horses while farming. In contrast, many sedentary Americans only average about 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Amish women participated in moderate forms of exercise such as gardening, cooking and childcare, but still tallied up an average of 14,196 steps each day. Results show, on average, the Amish participated in about six-times more weekly physical activity than did nearly 2,000 participants in a recent survey in 12 "modernized" nations.

David R. Bassett, Ph.D., from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, says, "The Amish were able to show us just how far we've fallen in the last 150 years or so in terms of the amount of physical activity we typically perform. Their lifestyle indicates that physical activity played a critical role in keeping our ancestors fit and healthy."

After measuring body mass index, researchers also found only 4 percent of the Amish in the study were obese and just 26 percent were overweight, according to their BMI. In the United States, 31 percent of people are obese and 64.5 percent of people are overweight. Bassett says, "It is unreasonable to suggest that we return to a lifestyle where vigorous physical activity dominates our workplace. What we should do is realize ... that the modern environment has changed for the worst in terms of promoting activity and good health. It will be up to each of us to adapt to this reality by finding new opportunities to become and stay active."

Another point the researchers found interesting was diet. Diet is a major lifestyle factor often linked to obesity, but researchers found the Amish diet is typically high in calories, fat and refined sugar. Researchers say Amish adults may be able to maintain a more ideal body weight through physical activity despite high levels of caloric intake.

SOURCE: Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, 2004;36:79-85

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