Abstract
We clarified the factors affecting increased physical activity in the daily life of young women by studying the route selected to reach a school located on a hilltop. The physical load during walking differed according to the use of an escalator and elevator on the route. A questionnaire survey of the 633 students was conducted to examine the relationships among the use of the escalator and elevator, reasons for not using them, dietary habits, fitness habits, and education. Contrary to our expectation, half of the students selected a route to the school involving higher physical workload, with less than 30% of the students selecting a route with lower physical workload. These results can be explained by the fact that the routes with lower physical workload involved longer walking time. Those students on the dietetic course significantly selected a school route with higher physical workload.
