How to live longer: The easy exercise that could boost your longevity

Loose Women: Dr Hilary discusses how to live longer

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Exercising doesn’t necessarily need to require large amounts of focus in order to be effective, according to a study. This one simple exercise that doesn’t require much concentration could be a game-changer when it comes to pursuing a longer life.

Two studies show that walking could be the key to longevity, even if you are distracted whilst doing this activity.

The first study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology asked the participants to walk on a treadmill while wearing headphones, which played a series of beeping noises.

The participants were then asked to press a button in one hand if the latest beep was higher in tone than the one they had just heard.

Or they had to press a button in the other hand if the beep was lower.

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In the next test, the study subjects were then asked to step in sync with a metronome at either a slower or faster pace than the one natural to them.

In the final stage, the researchers used a combination of the beeping, metronome and leg brace tests to further distract the study participants.

The research team was trying to see if these obstacles required them to use up more energy during the workout.

They found that the participants actually adjusted the efficiency of their workout to those changes.

This suggests that effective walking can be accomplished even when a person is distracted.

“When people adapt to energy optimal ways of walking, they do so without consciously having to think about it,” said the study’s lead author Megan McAllister.

The evidence from this study suggests that even a casual walk, when you are not focusing on the activity as much, could still be beneficial for your health.

The second study published in JAMA focuses solely on how walking can improve your longevity.

Looking at 4,840 study participants, the researchers found that those who took 8,000 steps in a day had significantly lower rates of death from any cause.

The study says that the greater number of steps you do in a day is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality.

The research further suggests that the low death rate was affected only by the step count, not the intensity.

The intensity was deemed to have “no significant association” with the risk.

Based on these two studies, implementing walking outside or on a treadmill into your everyday routine could help boost your longevity – even when you are not focusing solely on the exercise.

If you want to increase your chances of a longer life, even more, Hopkins Medicine recommends opting for a combination of various lifestyle habits.

Apart from exercise, those include a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and quitting smoking.

They recommend following a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts and healthy oils for good results.

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