Research shows how much you need to walk a day from age 40 to live another 5 years

Investigation published in British media British Journal of Sports Medicine, says walking for a few minutes can help people over 40 add five years extra life in their lives.

The study was conducted using a prediction model that calculates the impact of different levels of physical activity on life expectancy based on people aged 40 and further in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

“Our results suggest that physical activity provides significantly greater health benefits than previously thought, driven by the use of more precise measures,” the authors note.

According to their results, “if all people were as active as the most active 25% of the population, Americans over 40 could live an average of 5.3 years longer (95% uncertainty interval: 3.7 to 6.8 years).”

How many minutes are needed?

The activity of the most active people (25%) is equivalent to 160 minutes of walking at a normal pace, or about 5 kilometers per hour, every day. Additionally, if less active people prefer to take long walks By spending an additional 111 minutes each day, the results can increase to 11 years of extra life.

“The greatest gain in life per hour of walking was observed in people in the lowest quartile of activity, where an additional hour of walking could add 376.3 minutes (6.3 hours) to life expectancy (95% uncertainty interval: 321.5 to 428. 5 minutes), the authors add the results.

Similarly, another study published last year in a scientific journal found that from 11 minutes The likelihood of heart disease and some types of cancer may be reduced.