This activity halves risk of death
A new Australian study has discovered that one activity can almost halve your risk of death. What’s more, it’s free to do, achievable for people of any age and remarkably easy: walking.
Researchers from the George Institute for Global Health found that increasing your daily step count from 1000 to 10,000 can lower a sedentary person’s chance of early death by a whopping 46 per cent.
10,000 steps is the standard recommended amount of movement, and generally involves a length walk, plus ongoing activity throughout the day. Those who are desk-bound or love to sit in front of the TV might struggle to reach those limits.
If 10,000 steps seems overwhelming, don’t worry. Researchers found that starting small will still benefit your health. Those who increased their steps to about 3000 per day for five days a week delayed death by 12 per cent, according to the landmark study.
The research involved 3000 Australian men and women with the average age of 58. All were previously sedentary.
"The participants were given pedometers and data was collected at the beginning and again approximately five years later during the trial to measure the number of steps they took each day," explains Professor Terry Dwyer.
In essence, Dwyer said the results speak volumes about the need for Australians to move more. "Inactivity is a major public health problem, with conditions like obesity costing the economy tens of billions of dollars every year," he said in a statement.
If getting active is among your New Year resolutions, trying a pedometer or fitness band may well help you achieve you goals. And if your dedication wanes, think back to this study for an extra motivation boost.
Related links:
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The best ways to exercise outdoors
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