10 months ago
One Long Walk Daily May Be More Beneficial Than Shorter Bursts for Heart Health
Imagine your heart is like a car engine.
When you take a long walk, it's like driving the car smoothly on the highway for a while.
This helps the engine work really well and stay healthy.
Taking many short walks is like stopping and starting the car a lot.
This can be okay, but it's not as good for the engine as a nice, long drive.
So, scientists found that for keeping your heart healthy, it's better to take one longer walk each day instead of a few short ones.
Even if you don't exercise much, a longer walk can make a big difference.
This is because the longer walk gets your heart pumping more, which is good for keeping it strong and living longer.
One long daily walk may offer greater heart health benefits than multiple short walks.
The study involved 33,560 UK adults aged 40-79 and tracked their walking habits for eight years.
Longer walking sessions were associated with increased longevity and reduced risk of heart problems.
Even for inactive individuals, a longer walk significantly lowered the risk of death.
Experts suggest aiming for at least 10-15 minutes of uninterrupted walking to maximize cardiovascular benefits.
- Who
- Researchers from the University of Sydney and Universidad Europea in Spain, with data from 33,560 UK adults aged 40-79
- What
- A study found that one longer daily walk can improve heart health and increase lifespan more effectively than multiple short walks.
- Where
- Data was collected from UK adults.
- When
- The study tracked participants for eight years, with findings recently published.
- Why
- Longer, uninterrupted walks allow the heart to pump more effectively, leading to better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death, even for inactive individuals.
Key facts
- Study Publication
- Annals of Internal Medicine
- Study Participants
- 33,560 adults aged 40-79 in the UK
- Walking Durations Tracked
- Less than 5 minutes, 5-10 minutes, 10-15 minutes, 15 minutes or more
- Study Duration
- Eight years
- Key Finding
- Longer walking sessions improve heart health and longevity more than short, fragmented walks
- Recommended Minimum Duration
- 10-15 minutes of uninterrupted walking
Quotes
Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis
co-lead researcher of the study
“We tend to place all the emphasis on the number of steps or the total amount of walking but neglect the crucial role of patterns, for example ‘how’ walking is done.”
financialexpress.com
“This study shows that even people who are very physically inactive can maximise their heart health benefit by tweaking their walking patterns to walk for longer at a time, ideally for at least 10-15 minutes, when possible.”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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