A new study provides an additional reason to spend more time outdoors and exercise: A daily one-hour walk could extend your life by about six hours. This benefit applies especially to people in the least active quarter of the US population, according to data analyzed by a team of researchers from Griffith University (Australia).
For those who are already in the most active quarter of the population, the additional benefit of a one-hour daily walk is smaller because they have already achieved most of the benefits associated with physical activity. However, the study highlights the importance of an active lifestyle for greater health and longevity.
The researchers found that if all US adults over the age of 40 were as active as those in the most active quarter, the average lifespan would increase by 5.3 years.
What have researchers discovered about those who prefer a daily one-hour walk?
The study used data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES), which recruits 5,000 volunteers annually. The analysis excluded 824 participants who did not wear the tracking devices long enough. The researchers combined this data with a model of age-specific mortality rates and other studies of the link between exercise and lifespan.
Those in the most inactive quarter of the population saw the biggest gain in life expectancy: an extra hour of walking per day added an average of 6.3 hours to life expectancy.
The researchers argue that it is feasible to move from the least active quarter of the population to the most active, as this level corresponds to activity equivalent to about three hours of walking per day.
Promoting the movement
Professor Lennert Veerman, one of the authors of the study, points out that the benefits of physical activity are immense and easy to achieve: any type of exercise counts, whether it’s walking, running or cycling; investing in environments that encourage movement, such as pedestrian- and bike-friendly neighborhoods or accessible public transportation systems, can increase not only longevity but also public health.
Even a small increase in physical activity has significant health benefits. If an extra hour of daily walking seems like a difficult goal, any level of exercise helps improve overall health and reduce the risk of disease, points out Science Alert.
The study, published in British Journal of Sports Medicineprovides new insight into how physical activity can positively influence individual health and public health systems.
We recommend you also read:
Does running affect our knees or not?
Study: PFAS and microplastics become more toxic when they ‘join forces’
Could the brain microbiome help prevent dementia?
One type of chocolate could reduce risk of type 2 diabetes by 21%
Source: www.descopera.ro
