Study reveals how many minutes of walking you should do per day to prevent dying early
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Oscar Wong
A study has revealed how many minutes of walking you should do every single day to prevent an early death.
I think we're all aware how important exercise is to ensure you live a long and healthy life, but you can digest that even further to certain segments of that exercise routine.
US guidelines suggest adults should get at least 150 minutes of 'moderate-intensity' or 75 minutes of 'vigorous-intensity aerobic activity' per week.
While that is certainly important, a new study has found that taking a simple stroll every single day can reduce your chance of an early death.
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Long walks in the countryside may be fun and good for the body, but there's no doubt they can be very time consuming. And with a long day at work, the majority won't have time to complete such a walk.
But luckily, researchers are now saying one in ten early deaths could be prevented if they walk for just 11 minutes per day.
Dr Soren Brage from the MRC Epidemiology Unit, who worked on the study with folks from Cambridge University, wrote: "If you are someone who finds the idea of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week a bit daunting, then our findings should be good news.
"Doing some physical activity is better than doing none. This is also a good starting position – if you find that 75 minutes a week is manageable, then you could try stepping it up gradually to the full recommended amount."
The study found that 75 minutes of moderate activity per week is enough to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 17 percent and seven percent for cancers.
Professor James Woodcock, of the MRC Epidemiology Unit, added: "We know that physical activity, such as walking or cycling, is good for you, especially if you feel it raises your heart rate. But what we’ve found is there are substantial benefits to heart health and reducing your risk of cancer even if you can only manage ten minutes every day."
Researchers also found one in six early deaths would be prevented for those who partake in 150 minutes+ of exercise every single week.
While one in nine cases of cardiovascular disease and one in 20 cases of cancer would be prevented if you decide on the same exercise routine.
"Moderate activity doesn’t have to involve what we normally think of exercise, such as sports or running," Queen’s University Belfast's Dr Leandro Garcia said.
"Sometimes, replacing some habits is all that is needed. For example, try to walk or cycle to your work or study place instead of using a car, or engage in active play with your kids or grandkids.
"Doing activities that you enjoy and that are easy to include in your weekly routine is an excellent way to become more active."