Secret to a long life – go for brisk 20-minute walks every day

#briskwalk #healthbenefits #obesity A study carried out by researchers at University of Cambridge on 334,000 European men and women has concluded that a brisk 20-minute walk on a daily basis can actually make a lot of difference on one’s longevity – such brisk walks can, in fact, add years to one’s life.
The researchers analyzed the over 334,000 European men and women, and found that twice as many deaths may be attributable to lack of physical activity compared with the number of deaths attributable to obesity.
The study was the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study and, over an average of 12 years, the researchers collected data on height, weight and waist circumference and used self-assessment to measure levels of physical activity.
The researchers discovered that the greatest reduction in risk of premature death occurred in the comparison between inactive and moderately inactive groups – this was judged by combining activity at work with recreational activity.
Professor Ulf Ekelund from the Medical Research Council (MRC) epidemiology unit at University of Cambridge has expressed his opinion that just 20 minutes of brisk walk would make a difference. The health benefits of physical activity are well known and should be an important part of our daily life.
It is interesting to note that based on the most recent available data on deaths in Europe, nearly 337,000 of the 9.2 million deaths amongst European men and women were attributable to obesity. But – nearly double this number of deaths (676,000) was attributable to physical inactivity.