Step lively to a longer life?

This Week’s Top Stories from Harvard Health Step lively to a longer life? People who walk at a brisk clip may live longer than those who walk slowly — regardless of how much they weigh, a new study finds. Researchers looked at data from nearly 475,000 adults in the United Kingdom Biobank study, which recruited middle-aged participants from 2006 to 2010. The participants, most of whom were slightly overweight, were asked to describe their usual walking pace as slow, average, or brisk. Those who reported walking briskly had longer life expectancies, regardless of their body mass index, or BMI. For BMI values ranging from less than 20 to 40 or higher, fast-walking women and men had life expectancies of more than 86 and 85 years, respectively. Get your copy of Walking for Health The simple activity of walking has so many powerful health benefits. Done correctly, it can be the key to losing weight, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and boosting your memory, as well as reducing your risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer and more. Walking for Health, created by the experts at Harvard Medical School, takes you step-by-step from why walking may be the most perfect exercise, to how to get started on a walking program, to specific walking workouts. It even has a special section on walking for weight loss. Additional News from Harvard Health Publishing Brushing up on heart health Soy protein helps lower bad cholesterol a small but important amount Ultra-processed foods appear to cause overeating and weight gain Walking for Health Featured content: • Walking: An ideal form of exercise • Should you check with your doctor first? • First steps: Starting a walking program • Walking workouts and more • Walking through the seasons •  ... and more! Click here to read more »