A 20-Minute Walk Can Cut Death Risk By 30 Percent

How much exercise does it take to cut the risk of early death? Not much, according to a study by researchers at the University of Cambridge.  A news release reports that researchers at the school are convinced that a brisk 20-minute walk a day could do the trick. The researchers analyzed data from 334,161 men and women, measuring height, weight and waist circumference, and self-assessed levels of physical activity. A followup study done 12 years later found that the greatest reduction in risk of premature death occurred in the comparison between inactive and moderately inactive groups, and that doing exercise equivalent to just a 20-minute brisk walk each day – burning between 90 and 110 calories – can reduce the risk of premature death by between 16 to 30 percent. The impact was greatest for people of normal weight.