The widely accepted mantra of achieving ‘10,000 steps’ a day for good health might not be the only path to wellness, according to a leading longevity expert.
Dr Valter Longo, who directs the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California, is at the forefront of ageing and disease research. While average UK adults live to around 80, Dr Longo suggests that adhering to certain lifestyle rules may allow you to ‘stay young’ for longer.
Whether we’re gym-goers or not, exercise is a crucial part of this. In a chat with nutrition journalist Andrew Merle back in 2019, Dr Longo reportedly said that 10,000 steps daily or climbing 20 flights of stairs is certainly beneficial.
Yet, his blog suggests that simply walking briskly for an hour each day could suffice. »Walk fast for an hour every day, » Dr Longo wrote online. « On the weekend, walk everywhere, even faraway places (avoid polluted areas as much as possible). »
This advice aligns with current NHS recommendations, which state that extensive walking isn’t necessary to see health benefits. A simple ‘brisk’ walk, at about 3mph, for just 10 minutes daily can help burn calories, improve stamina, and may even enhance heart health.
For those uncertain about their walking pace, the NHS-endorsed Active 10 app can be downloaded for free onto smartphones. The app offers tips to increase walking speed.
Ageing expert Professor Claire Steves from King’s College London also highlighted that just under an hour of walking three times a week could enhance brain health too. On the ZOE Podcast, she said: « So, to improve your cognitive health, you need to do more exercise than you’re doing now – up to a point – unless you’re an Olympic athlete.
« That’s the key thing. If we look at really big population studies, we can see effects, even with minimal levels of exercise, and it’s fairly linear…So, whatever you’re doing, if you go up by a third, you’ll be improving yourself. »
Despite this, it is important to acknowledge that Dr Longo’s fitness advice goes beyond just walking. Within the blog, he noted that ‘moderate exercise for two-and-a-half to five hours a week’ with some in the ‘vigorous range’ is best for optimised longevity too.
His thoughts are once again echoed in recent research from the University of Bristol, which found that steady aerobic exercise may be critical to decreasing certain Alzheimer’s markers. Aerobic exercise refers to any exercise that increases pulse rate and uses more oxygen in the body.
Running, jogging, swimming and even walking are all included in this. Although the project used mice as its subjects, scientists hope similar patterns will be observed in humans and are planning wider experiments to confirm this.
Professor Longo also wrote: « Most of the beneficial effects appear to be caused by the first [two-and-a-half] hours of exercise, making the additional exercise optional. »
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