A daily walk may be one of the most effective ways to maintain fitness and overall health as you age.
Low-impact exercise is easier to incorporate into daily routines compared to more intense workouts. Researchers suggest that walking for just one hour a day could extend life expectancy by up to five years.
A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine analyzed data from 4,200 participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The study tracked participants’ physical activity and compared it to life expectancy models to better understand the relationship between physical activity levels and longevity.
The findings revealed that individuals who were already physically active before the study did not experience significant health benefits from adding more exercise. However, those in the least active group saw a considerable increase in life expectancy with the introduction of daily walks.
“If everyone were as active as the top 25% of the healthiest population, Americans over the age of 40 could live an average of 5.3 years longer,” the researchers stated.
Staying active and eating healthy: a key focus for older adults
Dr. Lennert Veerman, the study’s lead author and a professor of public health at Griffith University, emphasizes that achieving significant health benefits is possible by simply increasing physical activity. “All it takes is for people to move more,” he said.
According to Dr. Veerman, 25% of the population is already maintaining a sufficient level of physical activity, which offers hope for broader health improvements in society.
