Walking keeps you out of hospital, a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia says.
Researchers gave pedometers to record daily step counts of participants in the study, aged 55-80. Median daily step counts ranged from 8600 in the youngest to 3800 in those over 80 years, and weekend days had on average 620 fewer steps than weekdays.
The inactive people (taking 4500 steps per day) averaged 0.97 days of hospital care per year. The more active people (taking 8800 steps per day) needed only 0.68 days of care per year. Analysis adjusted for the effects of age, sex, the number of illnesses people had when they started, smoking, alcohol intake and education.
The difference of 0.29 hospital days per year between the inactive and active people is about a 30% reduction.The researchers then looked at the possibility that sick people walk less, rather than activity preventing illness. To test the idea, the analysis was repeated ignoring all hospital admissions in the first two years of follow-up to remove the immediate effects of serious illness. The reduction in hospital days was about the same.
An extra 4300 steps per day is about 40 minutes walking, which might include going to the shops or taking the stairs at work, the researchers say. It doesn’t have to be "exercise", although higher intensity activity for those who enjoy it has greater health benefits.
The findings support efforts to make urban areas pedestrian and cycle friendly.
— theconversation.com
