Bess Marcus, PhD, alongside lead author Becky Marquez, PhD, MPH, and colleagues, recently published findings from the Seamos Activas II trial in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine. The 1-year study evaluated a remotely delivered, cognitive-behavioral physical activity intervention tailored for underactive Latina women to examine the temporal relationships between exercise, social networks, and cardiometabolic health.

Key insights from the research include:

• Exercise Expands Social Networks: Participants who engaged in higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) subsequently developed more peripheral social ties—such as connections with neighbors, coworkers, and community members.
• Social Connections Drive Lipid Improvements: Increases in overall network size, peripheral ties, and social role diversity were significantly associated with reductions in total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol, independent of changes in physical activity.
• Remote Delivery Works: The findings highlight that individual, remotely delivered interventions can successfully encourage social integration beyond immediate family networks, offering promising strategies for promoting cardiometabolic health.