Go for a Walk, and Live Longer

A vigorous half-hour walk six times a month can dramatically reduce the risk of premature death, even taking into account genetic factors, according to an article last week in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.

Vigorous walkers had a 43% lower risk of premature death when compared with those who were sedentary, according to the study, which tracked about 16,000 healthy men and women from a national registry of twins in Finland. The study, which began in 1975, also showed that even occasional exercisers had a 29% reduced risk of premature death compared with those who did not exercise at all.

It’s among the first studies to separate the influences of exercise and genetics and clearly suggests that even moderate exercise can greatly enhance longevity.

“This is a tremendously important finding,” said Mark Fenton, editor at large of Walking magazine in Boston. “Basically, it points an extraordinarily powerful finger at inactivity for an early demise.”

In the study, the vigorous walkers were defined as those who raised their heart rate to roughly 60% of their resting heart level. Fitness experts say walkers are achieving a “vigorous” level if it interrupts normal conversation during the exercise, but does not make it impossible.

The Finnish study, which shows the benefits of exercising just six times a month, stands in stark contrast to recommendations made by the U.S. surgeon general in 1996. At that time, the surgeon general urged people to engage in moderate physical activity for 30 minutes “most or every day of the week.”

“A lot of people wrongly believe you have to go out and run a marathon or be gasping for air with your hands on your knees to do any good,” Fenton said. “This study says absolutely not.”

The researchers were led by Dr. Urho M. Kujala of the University of Finland. Their findings were published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. Kujala added that the beneficial effect of physical activity remained after controlling for other predictors of death, such as smoking or hypertension.