We examined whether change in distance to or number of sports facilities is related to change in metabolic equivalent task (MET) hours/week.

25,834 Finnish Public Sector study cohort participants reported their weekly physical activity in 2000 and 2008. Distances from each participant's home to the nearest facility and number of facilities within 500 m from home were calculated from geographic coordinates. We assessed changes in weekly MET hours of physical activity between the baseline and the follow-up in relation to change in distance to the nearest facility (remained close, decreased, remained distant, increased) and number of facilities < 500 m from home (remained high, increased, remained low, decreased).

The average decrease in MET hours was greater for those whose distance to a sports facility increased (− 1.4 (95% CI − 3.8–−0.96)) (vs. remained close). The same was observed for those for whom the number of facilities near home decreased (− 2.35 (95% CI − 4.84–0.14)) (vs. remained high). Increase in availability was not related to increase in MET hours.

An increase in distance to and decrease in number of sports facilities were associated with a decrease in physical activity suggesting that changes in availability of facilities may affect physical activity levels.