New research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has shown that walking fast, even for as little as 15 minutes per day, may reduce your risk of death due to heart disease and other causes.
The study used data from a cohort of nearly 85,000 participants. The participants were predominantly low-income and Black individuals recruited from 12 states in the southeastern United States. Participants were recruited from 2002 through 2009 and followed-up with for an average of 16.7 years. Baseline information was collected from each participant, including walking pace and time, various lifestyle factors, and health status. Walking pace was defined as either fast or slow; examples of fast walking included climbing stairs, brisk walking, or exercising, while slow walking examples included moving around, walking at work, walking the dog, or engaging in light exercise. The goal of the study was to determine the impact of daily walking on mortality, particularly for low-income and Black individuals.
The results showed that there was a significant relationship between daily fast walking time and all-cause mortality. As little as 15 minutes per day of fast walking was associated with a nearly 20% lower risk of death due to any cause. This was a major contrast with slow walking; more than three hours per day of slow walking was associated with only a 4% decrease in all-cause mortality risk. The benefits of fast walking were most pronounced for death due to cardiovascular disease, although they applied to all types of mortality.
The authors of the study noted that while the health benefits of walking are well established, few previous studies have included walking pace. The results of this study suggest that incorporating more intense forms of walking, such as stair climbing or brisk walking, may be very beneficial for health and longevity.
Sources: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Science Daily
