One Habit That Will Cut Your Risk of Death in Half!
“Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far.”
Full Story
This one habit cuts your risk of death in half or, if you’re especially ambitious, by a whopping 65%. It doesn’t involve expensive supplements, extreme restriction, or daily high intensity workouts. It requires little effort and even less skill. In fact, it’s free, easy, and nearly everyone can do it. You can do it at work, at the park, oven at home.
This magical habit is…drumroll please….
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Walking!
Now, I know you might be thinking, “John, walking is way too easy to have such a significant of an effect. Let’s see some proof.” Don’t you worry, I have your proof right here! (1).
This 2020 study of over 4,000 people in which those that walked only 4,000 steps per day had an all cause mortality rate that was twice as high (i.e. were twice as likely to die) as those that walked 8,000 steps per day.
For you overachievers, you’ll find it interesting to know that walking 12,000 steps per day compared to 4,000 steps reduced risk of death by a nearly 65%! In fact, a high daily step count was associated with a lower risk of death from both cardiovascular disease and cancer, two of the leading causes of death in the U.S.
A Leisurely Stroll
The best part is, for those of you that like to stroll and take time to smell the roses, the participants didn’t even need to walk quickly to benefit from the life saving effects. For reference - at a 3 mph pace, 8,000 steps is about 3.6 miles (2). That means to effectively evade death, all that people had to do was walk at a relatively slow pace for 3.6 miles a day!
Now, this was one observational study and it does not mean that a moderate amount of low intensity walking directly increases lifespan. That being said, these findings suggest that there is a significant benefit to walking even less than 10,000 steps per day, the traditional step count recommendation.
Personally, I make it a habit to walk for 5 to 10 minutes after every meal because it helps me get my steps in and improves digestion (3). Other benefits of short, after-dinner walks include:
Improved blood sugar regulation (4).
Improve mood and decrease stress levels (5).
Increase energy and decrease feelings of fatigue (6).
Increase daily calorie burn, decreasing risk for metabolic disease.
Reduce risk of heart disease (for 30 min/day, 5x/week) (7).
Improve immune function (8).
Boost creativity (9).
More fresh air and more time spent in nature.
Less time staring at your phone.
Wrap Up
This holiday season, one of the absolute best decisions you can make for your health is to get your steps in each day. As social connection is another crucial aspect of health and longevity, you may even consider walking and talking alongside family and friends, or by making a call/video chat with your loved ones.
If you’re on the fence about going for that after Thanksgiving dinner walk, I hope this study, and the other enticing evidence-based benefits, encourages you to lace up your sneakers and get moving.
