Fifteen minutes of fast walking a day can reduce the chance of an early death by 20 per cent, a study has found.
Strenuous exercise that leaves you out of breath has long been known to be highly beneficial for heart health but scientists are learning more about the benefits of gentler forms of activity.
Regular walking, even at a relatively sedate pace, has been shown to provide several benefits, providing a boost to cardiovascular health, as well as cognitive abilities and memory.
A recent study found that walking 10,000 steps a day, the number commonly recommended by doctors and fitness trackers, might not be necessary. It said that similar benefits can be achieved by walking 7,000 steps.
The new study found that more than three hours per day of slow walking, classed simply as “moving around, walking at work, walking the dog or engaging in light exercise” can reduce the risk of dying early from a number of causes.
Researchers found, however, that a greater benefit could be achieved from “fast walking as little as 15 minutes a day”. This was classed as “climbing stairs, brisk walking or exercising”.
Slower walking for a longer time is not to be sniffed at but speeding up had greater benefits, the study suggested
PA
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The scientists, from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee in the US, said: “The protective effect of fast walking extended to all causes of death but was most pronounced for cardiovascular diseases.”
The benefits of adding 15 minutes a day of fast walking were experienced by those who regularly walk at a slower pace and engage in some form of physical activity, suggesting that anyone can benefit from upping the pace, even if they are relatively active.
The research looked specifically at those from low-income backgrounds of all ethnicities and black people of all economic backgrounds across 12 southeastern states.
It followed participants for an average of 16.7 years, looking at those who died of any cause over the period.
“Our research has shown that fast walking as little as 15 minutes a day was associated with a nearly 20 per cent reduction in total mortality, while a smaller reduction in mortality was found in association with more than three hours of daily slow walking,” the scientists said.
More than 79,000 people were asked to log how many minutes per day they spend walking and at what pace. Information was gathered about their health, then their causes of death.
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The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that fast walking “boosts heart efficiency” and “helps control body weight and composition”, reducing the risk of high blood pressure and elevated fat levels in the bloodstream.
The researchers said increasing the pace of walking was a “highly accessible” recommendation that doctors can make: “Fast walking is a convenient, low-impact activity suitable for individuals of all ages and fitness levels,” they said.
Lili Liu, an epidemiologist and the lead author of the study, said: “The findings of the reduced mortality associated with fast walking pace were supported by previous studies conducted in middle and upper-middle-income populations. Individuals should strive to incorporate more intense physical activity into their routines, such as brisk walking or other forms of aerobic exercise.”