If You're Not Walking, You're Dying

By Editorial Staff

The simple art of walking: so relaxing, so stress-relieving ... so life sustaining? Yes, walking regularly may prolong your life, and it doesn't take much, according to new research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that evaluated walking habits among older adults (average age: 69-71 years).

Data on walking habits gathered from nearly 140,000 participants of the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort found that walking for two hours or less per week (lower than recommended activity levels, but more than none) lowered mortality (death) from any cause compared to no activity during the 13-year study period. Walking 2.5 to five hours per week (1-2 times the recommended levels) reduced all-cause mortality by 20 percent. Risk reductions through walking were also seen for cardiovascular disease and cancer-related mortality.

So get out there and walk a little – your (long) life may depend on it! In the morning before breakfast, on a break at work, after dinner and more, find time to walk and reap the multiple health benefits.