Rethinking navigation app’s walking options could boost commuter health, Israeli scientists say

A brisk 20-minute daily walk has been associated with reducing the risk of early death by up to 25%, making integrated movement a practical option for people with demanding schedules.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Navigation apps may be quietly discouraging commuters from walking, but a new proof-of-concept study suggests that changing those built-in defaults could unlock surprising health gains—without adding a single minute to travel time.

By adjusting walking distance thresholds in trip-planning models, researchers found that most commuters could incorporate an average of nine extra minutes of walking while still arriving at work at the same time.

The project was developed at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University as part of Prof. Jonathan Rabinowitz’s More Walking Project, in collaboration with the Israeli Smart Transportation Research Center (ISTRC).

Rabinowitz, from the university’s Weisfeld School of Social Work, said the findings point to a simple but powerful behavioral shift. “This means you can leave home at the same time, get to work at the same time, and walk more along the way,” he said.

Calling it “a simple shift with significant benefits,” he noted that the study builds on work in his Wellness Research Lab, which explores everyday strategies for improving well-being.

The research team analyzed potential commuting routes for more than 2,100 employees traveling to the university.

Their models showed that raising the walking thresholds in navigation tools allowed commuters to fit moderate physical activity into their routines without sacrificing time.

A brisk 20-minute daily walk has been associated with reducing the risk of early death by up to 25%, making integrated movement a practical option for people with demanding schedules.

Rabinowitz said the idea for the project grew out of his son’s recovery from an army injury.

“We saw how impactful small, consistent steps could be. This led us to ask: What if our daily maps nudged us to walk just a bit more?” he said.

The study also tested a concept the team called Hacking the Map Apps for Active Transportation. Instead of relying on the common “less walking” default built into most navigation apps, the researchers examined what would happen if commuters selected a “more walking” option.

The results challenged assumptions: increasing walking distance did not necessarily lengthen commutes, and in some cases, travel times even shortened due to more efficient transfers and street connections.

The findings also open the door for new digital tools that promote healthier commuting. Smart mobility platforms could introduce small incentives for choosing routes with more walking, while personal health apps and wearables could recommend commute-based walking as a practical way for users to meet daily activity goals.

By aligning transit technology with wellness tracking, even small adjustments in routine travel could translate into meaningful, sustained health improvements.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed BMC Public Health, was led by the late Bar-Ilan researcher Dr. Yuval Hadas, graduate student Dan Katz, and Prof. Rabinowitz.

It marks the first phase of a broader national initiative to promote active transportation. The ongoing stage now involves helping commuters use existing apps to increase walking and tracking how those changes affect behavior.