What if every step taken today was the promise of a longer and healthier life. A recent Australian study, conducted by Griffith University and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicinereveals that this daily habit could extend your life expectancy by 5 to 11 years. No, we’re not talking about signing up for a half marathon or spending hours at the gym on a treadmill. The solution would simply lie in walking. An activity with inestimable benefits.
Move to last
To arrive at these conclusions, the researchers analyzed data from American forty-somethings collected between 2003 and 2006. By observing their physical habits, they established that the most active 25%, that is to say those walking on average 160 minutes per day at a moderate pace (4.8 km/h), lived considerably longer than those who were less active. By projecting this data to the scale of the American population, scientists estimated that if all people in their forties adopted the activity level of the most active, the life expectancy of the least mobile would increase by an average of 11 years. To achieve this, it would be enough to integrate around 111 minutes of brisk walking – or an equivalent activity – into your daily life. In other words, it’s not a mountain to climb, but a habit to adopt.
A sedentary lifestyle as harmful as tobacco?
This study is also striking because it compares the risks linked to physical inactivity to the risks linked to cigarettes or hypertension. Lennert Veerman, lead author of the study, goes so far as to assert that the loss of years of life due to low activity rivals those caused by smoking. An alarming conclusion at a time when a large part of the population spends the majority of their day seated, whether at the office or in front of a screen. The researchers’ message is clear: moving should not be a luxury reserved for athletes, but a priority for everyone, and the benefits of moderate and regular physical activity go well beyond longevity. Walking every day reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and even certain cancers. “Every movement counts,” recalls Veerman.
This study highlights a simple, economical and universally accessible habit: walking. Unlike other forms of exercise that require specific equipment or an expensive membership, walking only involves having a good pair of shoes and a little time. And even if you can’t reach the recommended 111 minutes daily, every extra step can help. For skeptics who wonder if it is really worth changing your habits, the figures speak for themselves: an hour of walking could in fact add up to six hours to your life expectancy, especially for the least active people. A time-investment ratio that should convince more than one person.
Reinventing our living spaces
The study not only encourages individuals to adopt an active lifestyle but also communities to rethink living spaces, by creating more pedestrian cities, neighborhoods conducive to walking and infrastructure encouraging soft mobility such as the bicycle or public transport. On the one hand, it is about improving individual health but also about responding to broader societal issues, such as reducing carbon emissions or reducing public health spending linked to chronic diseases. With this in mind, certain initiatives are beginning to emerge, such as the multiplication of urban parks, the closing of certain streets to cars, or the promotion of commuting on foot or by bike. These collective efforts are essential to allow everyone to more easily integrate physical activity into their daily lives.
A choice for today and tomorrow
If this study teaches us anything, it’s that it’s never too late to start. You don’t need to run a marathon or revolutionize your schedule overnight. A 15-minute walk here and there and you’re already improving your life expectancy. The secret is consistency and intention. Transform your usual journeys into opportunities to get moving: take the stairs instead of the elevator, get off a station before your usual stop, or go get your coffee on foot instead of by car. And who knows? Maybe in a few years you’ll thank today’s older but still healthy you for that decision.
