Jan 26 2025 2 mins 4
Ask the family doctor if you’ll live longer by exercising and expect a quick answer: Of course. That’s a no-brainer well established by medical science.
Ask exactly how much longer and the physician will probably offer up a blank stare. After all, we don’t have an expiration date stamped on our foreheads like a carton of milk in the fridge.
New research, however, is beginning to offer surprisingly precise estimates to just that question. How about six hours of additional life for each extra hour walked for the most inactive among us?
That is according to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Scientists used a predictive model to estimate life expectancy based on different activity regimens. The study used data on activity levels from a questionnaire filled out by some Americans as part of a large federal survey. That information was then matched with death records.
Investigators found that if Americans exercised as much as the top 25% of the most physically active folks, they’d add more than five years to life expectancy. That’s 160 minutes walking a day at a speed of 3 miles per hour, or a brisk walk.
If the least active folks over 40 joined the elite ranks of the active, longevity is estimated to increase 11 years. This equals six extra hours of life per hour walked.
It’s like savings in a bank. The more you put in, the more that accumulates in the vault.
The kind of walking you do matters less than the length of time doing it or some equivalent exercise. Walk the dog. Walk around the office every half-hour. Walk on a beach. Take up golf without a cart. It’s all good.
It’s a walk in the park.
