When most people think about exercising, they usually think about long hours at the gym performing grueling exercises. No wonder so many dread it. But in reality, visiting the gym isn’t really necessary.
In fact, something as simple as walking can be enough to provide valuable health benefits — according to a study from the University of Cambridge.
The study found that a small amount of walking significantly reduced the risk of death.1 The results were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
20 Minutes of Exercise Reduced Risk of Death by 16-30%
Previous research shows that thin people who don’t exercise are unhealthier than their exercising counterparts. The same trend is seen for obese people.
Scientists analyzed the exercise habits of 334,161 Europeans and followed them up after a mean period of 12 years. They examined the relationship between physical activity, obesity, and the risk of death.
They found that as little as 20 minutes of exercise per day was enough to reduce the risk of death between 16-30% in people who considered themselves inactive.
This applied to people who were of normal weight and to those who were overweight as well. They also found that inactivity killed twice as many people as obesity.
This study shows that even inactive people who do just a little bit of exercise can reap big rewards.