Walk that extra mile a day to reduce your heart risk

Walking that extra mile every day dramatically reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Older people—who are aged between 68 and 78—who walk an extra 3000 steps a day are 18 percent less likely to develop heart disease and they reduce their risk of stroke by 36 percent compared to more sedentary people.

It’s those extra steps that make a difference, say researchers from the University of Connecticut.  They analysed 25 studies that had included nearly 29,000 older people who were already walking an average of 4000 steps a day.  

From that, they tested their own group and gave each of them pedometers to measure their steps with the aim of reaching 7000 steps a day, as recommended by the American College of Sport Medicine.

And it was those extra steps that made all the difference, reducing blood pressure levels, and, from that, lowering mortality rates by 11 percent, heart deaths by 16 percent, heart disease risk by 18 percent and stroke risk by 36 percent.

What do you think? Start a conversation over on the... WDDTY Community