A recent study has revealed that fast walkers can expect to live longer than dawdlers.
Collecting data from almost 500,000 people at a range of different weights, health experts at the University of Leicester and Loughborough University looked into the connection between life expectancy and walking pace.
The findings revealed that fast walkers can expect to live longer lives, regardless of their weight or waist size. In other words, the researchers deduced that physical fitness is possibly a better indicator of life expectancy than BMI (body mass index).
The findings found that slow walkers who are underweight have the lowest life expectancy — 72 for women and 64 for men. Women who walk at a brisk pace have a life expectancy of around 87 years, while mens’ life expectancy jumps to 86 years. N.B. the average UK life expectancy is 79 for men and around 82 for women.
A similar study carried out last year showed that middle-aged people who walk slowly are at a higher risk of heart-related disease than the general population. They’re actually twice as likely as fast walkers, even when you take into account other risk factors, including smoking and BMI.
So pick up the pace folks, it might add years to your life. (And it’ll do my fellow fast walkers and I a few favours, too.) 😉
See also: Hard Lessons You Need To Learn If You’re Going To Survive In London.