Why walking further and faster could cut your risk of heart attack and stroke
The exercise hack that could cut your heart attack risk by a fifth
- A study has revealed that increasing walking distance and speed can significantly lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes, even without reaching the recommended 10,000 steps daily.
- Published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology, the research analysed data from 32,192 people with high blood pressure from the UK Biobank study.
- The findings indicate that each additional 1,000 steps taken daily was linked to a 17 per cent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular problems.
- Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, who supervised the study, emphasised that any amount of physical activity is beneficial, even below the widely recommended daily step target.
- While primarily focusing on people with high blood pressure, the study also found similar cardiovascular benefits for individuals without the condition.