Long daily walks can be a simple way to extend life. Specialists of the American Cardiology Association came to this conclusion, which submitted their report at the EPI Lifestyle 2021 conference.
Researchers estimated the effect of continuous walk within 10 minutes and longer on the body of 16,732 women over 60 years old, as well as short activity, for example, lifting the stairs or everyday activity like a home work. The number of steps was determined using fitness applications and special counters. For six years, until December 31, 2019, scientists tracked deaths among volunteers.
For the entire observation period, 804 cases of death were recorded. Participants in the study that have done more steps during short physical activity, lived longer, no matter how many steps they did during continuous walking. However, this effect remained the same on level more than 4500 steps. Compared to those who did not make daily walks, the mortality rate decreased by 28 percent with each additional thousand steps. Those who did more than 2,000 steps during continuous walking per day, mortality decreased by 32 percent.
Since all participants in the study were elderly and, mostly, white women of non-appealing origin, additional research is needed to determine whether the results are applicable to men, younger women and people from various racial and ethnic groups.