Tom Ewart Smith
A NEW study has revealed that something as simple as going for a daily walk could dramatically extend your life – by up to a decade.
The research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, shows that people who walk regularly, even at a moderate pace, could significantly boost their life expectancy compared to those who lead sedentary lifestyles.
In some cases, the increase in lifespan could be as much as 10 or 11 years.
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The findings are the result of a detailed analysis using data from the US National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey and mortality records from the National Centre for Health Statistics.
Researchers focused on adults over the age of 40 and used device-measured physical activity to evaluate its long-term health impact.
Their model found that if everyone were as active as the most physically engaged 25% of the population – those walking nearly three hours a day at around five km/hour – life expectancy could rise to 84 years on average.
That’s a gain of over five years compared to current population norms, and in some lower activity groups, benefits may be even greater.
One striking finding revealed that individuals in the lowest quartile of activity could gain around six extra hours of life expectancy for every additional hour of walking they do.
Even those walking just under two hours a day – around 111 minutes – could gain up to 11 years of life, researchers estimated.
But the researchers were keen to point out that exercise is only one piece of the puzzle.
A well-rounded lifestyle, including a balanced diet, sufficient sleep, and effective stress management, plays a complementary role in achieving healthy ageing.
The authors call for greater investment in policies and environments that promote physical activity, noting that boosting physical activity levels across the population could translate into substantial gains in national life expectancy.
The takeaway is clear: walking might be the simplest path to a longer, healthier life.
