Geridoc

Geriatrician, Hospitalist, Patient Advocate, Healthcare Educator

Walking 15,000 Steps a Week Can Add Up to 3 Years to Your Life

Per Kate Pickles in DailyMail.com “Walking just 15,000 steps a week could add three years to your life, claims study”.

“Getting inactive people to walk just 5,000 steps three times a week could save the NHS £15billion, new research suggests.

Replacing lazy lifestyles with moderate levels of activity would make a significant difference to the nation’s overall health, a study found.

Research conducted by insurers Vitality and the London School of Economic suggests adopting habitual exercise can also add up to three years to life expectancy.

Major positive impacts were seen at all age groups, but it was particularly true for older generations.

There was a 52 per cent reduction in mortality risk for over-65s who regularly undertook 7,500 steps three or more times a week, they found.

Sustaining a healthy physical activity habit — at least 5,000 steps three times per week for two years — can add between 2.5 years for men, and 3 years for women to life expectancy, they found

It also led to lower rates of type 2 diabetes and reduced the death risk in those who already had it by 40 per cent.“

The gist of it……get walking!