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Walking can help improve your bone density, mobility, and even your mood. Now, new research finds that it may even help you live longer.
That’s the big takeaway from a recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Among other things, scientists found that taking up a walking habit could add more than a decade to your life. Here’s what to know.
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What did the study find?
Researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES), zeroing in on Americans aged 40 and up who wore activity monitors for at least four days. By comparing the most active participants to those with the least amount of physical activity, scientists found that life expectancy was positively correlated with exercise.
If the least active 25 percent of Americans matched the top quarter, they would need to add about 111 minutes of daily walking (or an equivalent activity) to their routine. But the rewards were significant: It could, in theory, increase their lifespans by up to 11 years.
The perks weren’t as big for already-active participants, but still notable: Those in the second-lowest activity group who walked about 83 extra minutes a day could add 4.6 years to their lives.
Can walking add 11 years to my life?
It’s tough to say—this is just one study and it only tracked the activity of people over four days. Also, there are a lot of factors that go into how long you live, making it difficult to pin it all on one thing.
That said, there does seem to be a connection between moving more and longevity. This isn’t the first study to link them, with researchers writing this in their conclusion: “Higher physical activity levels provide a substantial increase in population life expectancy.”
By the way, if you want to add up to 11 years to your life, you don’t have to walk your daily 111 minutes all at once: That amount can be broken up throughout the day.
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What are the health benefits of walking?
There are a bunch of perks of taking up a walking habit: It can help improve your bone density, mobility, and mood.
Walking could also improve your heart health and lower your risk of diabetes. It may even keep your brain healthy!
How can I add more walking into my day?
The great thing about walking is that you can just get out and do it. To start, just try to figure out how many steps you take on a regular basis and then do what you can to ramp it up. (Your phone likely has a step counter on it, if you don’t own a fitness tracker.)
You can also try to squeeze extra steps into your day by taking the stairs, parking farther away from the store or work, and walking to a friend’s house instead of driving. You can just go for a walk in the morning or evening, too.
Ultimately, just do what you can do squeeze in some more steps on a regular basis—it could help you live longer.
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