A new study suggests that walking for at least 160 minutes daily could significantly increase a person's lifespan. Researchers from Griffith University in Australia found that individuals aged 40 and over who increased their physical activity to match the top 25% of the population could expect to live 5 or more years longer.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analyzed data from over 40-year-old Americans to understand the correlation between physical activity levels and lifespan. The researchers found that those who walked at a moderate pace (4.8 km/h) for 160 minutes or more daily could expect to live up to 84 years, a 5.4-year increase compared to those who walked less.

Moreover, the study revealed that individuals with lower physical activity levels at the outset benefited the most from increasing their walking time. Those in the bottom 25% of physical activity could extend their lifespan by as much as 10.9 years if they increased their daily walking time to 160 minutes. For this group, each additional hour of walking was associated with a 6-hour and 16-minute increase in life expectancy.

While the study highlights a strong correlation between physical activity and longevity, the researchers caution that it cannot establish a definitive cause-and-effect relationship. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that increasing investments in promoting physical activity and creating environments that encourage walking could lead to significant improvements in public health and lifespan.

"Our findings indicate that promoting physical activity through measures such as improving pedestrian infrastructure, creating walkable neighborhoods, and increasing green spaces could be a promising approach to increase healthy life expectancy at the population level," said lead researcher, Professor Lennart Bierman.