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Sitting is the new smoking, or so many headlines have told us. While that's largely an exaggeration (smoking is dangerous in ways sitting can't hope to imitate) it's true that being sedentary is plenty bad for both body and mind. And the solution really can be as straightforward as putting one foot in front of the other - walking can take us from stationary peril to improved physical and mental health.
But how much do we need to walk? Can it be in increments, getting up from the computer and logging a few minutes here and there throughout the day? Or is trekking for longer spates of time the way to improved health?
I was wondering about this recently when I decided to buy a treadmill - not just as another thing to toss clothes on (I've done that before) but to really make a dent in what is otherwise hours upon hours of sitting in front of a computer alternating between zoom calls and typing.
Researching the options, I came upon a new study that provides clearer than usual guidance on the topic. Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the study examined walking habits of 33,560 people, average age 62, reaching fewer than 8,000 steps a day (researchers described them as "suboptimally active" adults). Across this group, some walkers accumulated steps during short walks of five minutes or less. Others walked for fewer than 10 minutes, and others for 15 minutes or more.
Researchers evaluated correlations across the groups to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other causes of mortality over a 10-year period, finding that people who regularly walked longer than 15 minutes were almost 70 percent less likely to develop CVD and 80 percent less likely to die from other causes compared to the shorter-walk groups.
Quoting from the study's conclusion: "Suboptimally active adults who accumulated most of their daily steps in longer bouts had lower mortality and CVD risk than those who accumulated most daily steps in shorter bouts."
This was an observational study, so it's important to note that the results do not prove causation. Decreases in CVD and all-cause mortality are correlations only. But, controlling for other factors, the results are still interesting. And uplifting, especially to someone who just bought a treadmill.
The main takeaway is that getting moving, particularly for longer periods of time, is good medicine. Gym memberships are sure to explode when the new year begins, as they always do, but walking is something most of us have access to immediately and always. Taking advantage of this underrated ability can open the door to better health right now.