Daily walking can extend life

• Americans over 40 could extend their lifespan by at least five years if they walked as much every day as the most physically active members of the population, according to a new study.

• According to the prediction model, the least physically active 25% of the population gained the most: For every hour of walking they took, they could extend their lives by nearly 6 hours.

• Although the study has limitations because it relied on existing data from certain segments of the American population, the findings align with the known health benefits of physical activity, experts say.

Americans over age 40 could extend their life expectancy by at least 5 years if they walked as much each day as the most physically active members of the population. British Journal of Sports Medicine He found it.

Using a predictive model based on national health data and Census information, the study’s authors found that the top 25% of the population in terms of physical activity gets the equivalent of 160 minutes of walking at about 3 miles per hour each day.

For the least physically active members of the population, matching this activity level could add an extra 11 years to their life expectancy.

According to the prediction model, the least physically active 25% of the population gained the most: For every hour of walking they took, they could extend their lives by nearly 6 hours.

Ryan Glatt, CPT, NBC-HWCSenior Brain Health Coach and Director of the FitBrain Program at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, who was not involved in the research, said: Today’s Medical News shows that walking reduces the risk of death at all activity levels.

“The benefits are most significant for people who are inactive, as even small increases in physical activity significantly reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases and premature death,” Glatt said.

Study confirms link between exercise and longevity

The study is observational and draws on the 2019 United States population life table, 2017 mortality information, and physical activity data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

It doesn’t imply cause and effect, but the general health benefits of daily physical activity are well known, and a lack of it can lead to many mental and physical health problems.

Christopher Schneble, MDa Yale Medicine sports medicine physician and assistant professor of orthopedics and rehabilitation at Yale School of Medicine who was not involved in the study, said: MNT Although the study was limited because it focused on existing datasets, the findings align with well-established data on physical activity and health.

“The results align well with many concepts we already know to be true from previous studies about how physical activity levels are related to health and mortality risk,” Schneble said.

“I think this study, despite its limitations, provides additional evidence that switching from a sedentary lifestyle to a more physically active lifestyle leads to a significant reduction in the risk of death, and that the risk decreases as activity level increases.”

How can walking extend life?

Compared to a mostly sedentary lifestyle, consistent exercise is clearly beneficial for our bodies, Schneble explained. Walking is accessible to almost everyone, making it a simple and powerful tool for a healthy life.

He told us:

“Since cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of death in older individuals (primarily the ages included in this study), it is not too surprising that a reduction in these risk factors could subsequently lead to a reduction in cardiovascular mortality and therefore all-cause mortality,” he added.

Glatt also explained that other types of exercise may be more daunting or difficult for people who are not generally physically active. However, he noted that the overall benefits of walking are huge.

“Walking differs from running or weight training in lower intensity and accessibility, making it particularly effective for sedentary individuals. While running and weight training target different physiological systems, such as cardiovascular or musculoskeletal health, walking is easier to sustain and It provides significant benefits in terms of life expectancy without the hurdles often associated with more intense exercise,” said Glatt.

Is it too late to reap the benefits of walking?

“There is no specific cutoff age for the benefits of walking,” Glatt said. “Even individuals who become toddlers later in life may see meaningful improvements in health and life expectancy, although the size of the benefit may depend on pre-existing health conditions. However, previously inactive individuals tend to experience the greatest relative gains.”

Schneble explained that it would be a mistake, if nothing else, to view physical activity as a wasted effort later in life, because it can improve many elements of life while also eliminating the risks that come with aging.

“I think it will be difficult to personally realize the benefits because they will be events that, in a sense, never happened; Things like heart attacks, strokes, or hip fractures that never happened. I would argue that the most important thing is to try to maintain the highest level of fitness possible, regardless of your age,” Schneble told us.

“As we get older, our reserves and maximum attainable fitness level tend to decrease. If we condition ourselves, we can place ourselves at a much better level of health that will better protect us from some of the modifiable dangers that inevitably come with aging. “Just because the decision to focus on improving one’s health didn’t come at the perfect time to maximize things doesn’t mean there isn’t still a significant benefit to be had,” he concluded.

View original article Today’s Medical News