Walking & Longevity: Study Finds That Walking May Help You Live Longer! by Mei Marcie

Want to live longer? A study by the Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) for the American Cancer Society (ACS) aimed to study the health impact of walking. What did researchers find? Compared to no physical activity, under two hours of walking weekly correlated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality. Two hours is lower than the national recommended exercise amount of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity, or 75 minutes of intense physical activity. Thus, even this comparatively "low" level of exercise still lowered the risk of premature death by a considerable amount.

Meeting or exceeding the national guidelines for physical activity by twofold through walking alone was linked with a 20 percent decrease in mortality risk. More than six hours of weekly walking was associated with a 35 percent lower risk from respiratory disease. The study was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

This study is encouraging because as the population ages, more older individuals may not be able to fulfill the national recommendation for exercise. Busy adults may also not meet the recommended active hours of exercise and intensity. Now, we know that there is a link between just walking and living longer!

Read more about walking and living longer via MNT.

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