Walking just FIFTEEN minutes a day can help to cut the risk of dying, experts reveal
New findings show brisk daily stroll can help adults live longer
JUST 15 minutes of walking a day cuts the risk of dying young by a fifth, a study found.
Researchers say moderate exercise increases the odds of living a long life and is a reasonable target for all adults, regardless of age.
Academics studied 123,428 people for a decade or more, during which time there were 18,210 deaths.
The participants were divided into four groups, based on their activity levels – inactive, low, medium and high.
And the study – by the University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, France – found the more exercise someone did the lower their chances of premature death.
Compared to those who were inactive, older adults with low, medium and high activity levels had a 22%, 28% and 35% lower risk of death, respectively.
Lead author Dr David Hupin, from the hospital, said: “Age is not an excuse to do no exercise.
“It is well established that regular physical activity has a better overall effect on health than any medical treatment.
“But less than half of older adults achieve the recommended minimum of 150 minutes moderate intensity or 75 minutes vigorous intensity exercise each week.
Related Stories
“We wanted to find out whether lower levels of exercise could be beneficial and even reduce mortality in older adults.
“The more physical activity older adults do, the greater the health benefits.
“The biggest jump in benefit was achieved at the low level of exercise, with the medium and high levels bringing smaller increments of benefit.
“We found that the low level of activity, which is half the recommended amount, was associated with a 22% reduced risk of death in older adults compared with those who were inactive.
“This level of activity equates to a 15 minute brisk walk each day.
“We think that older adults should progressively increase physical activity in their daily lives rather than dramatically changing their habits to meet recommendations.
“Fifteen minutes a day could be a reasonable target for older adults.
“Small increases in physical activity may enable some older adults to incorporate more moderate activity and get closer to the recommended 150 minutes per week.”
The study was presented yesterday at the annual congress of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, in France.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team?
Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368