Walking the equivalent of about 9 holes daily can increase your lifespan, study finds
Getty Images
Low levels of physical activity are directly related to premature mortality, a study by the British Journal of Sports Medicine found. Intuitively, that makes sense. But the study goes on to quantify this statement in a way that will make you want to get moving. The eight-person team that authored the study created a model to predict how people’s lifespans would change if they increased the amount they walked. The results were extreme.
Using data from activity trackers, the study determined that adults over 40 with the highest rates of physical activity were walking 160 minutes per day. Using a predictive model created from US Census data and mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the study determined that if adults were to increase their walking to 160 minutes per day, they would live more than five years longer. That means, instead of a life expectancy of 78.6 years, the model predicted a life expectancy of 84 years.
Those who exercised the least had the most to gain, the model predicted. The least-active group could increase their lifespan by about a decade if they were to walk as much as the most active 25 percent.
Reading this as a golfer, it sounds like there’s now a very good reason to buy a Sunday golf bag and walk at least nine holes as often as possible.
“Walking has numerous benefits, including cardiovascular health, mental well-being, and joint health,” says Lindsey Becker, a a Golf Digest Certified Fitness Trainer. “Walking nine holes has been shown to burn roughly 700 calories, which is great for weight management. Walking the golf course means you can work on your game while simultaneously increasing your longevity for even more rounds down the road.”
If you were looking for an excuse to play more golf and skip the cart, this is your sign.
If you want even further proof it's the right move, a few recent studies concluded that walking between 8,000 and 11,000 steps a day can have a host of health benefits including weight loss, reduction in chronic diseases and depression.