Researchers analyzed data from more than 334,000 European men and women in their 40s and 50s, measuring their height, weight, and waist circumference. They asked participants about their level of recreational activity—the amount of hours per week they spent doing things like jogging and cycling—and their level of occupational physical activity, categorized as either sedentary (i.e., office workers), standing (like a hairdresser), physical work (such as nursing), or heavy manual work (think: construction work). Researchers combined participants’ levels of recreational and occupational activity to get four groups: active, moderately active, moderately inactive, and inactive. MORE: This Is Your Body On Walking (Infographic) Fast-forward 12 years. Researchers collected info on how many participants had passed away since the start of the study, and their cause of death. While their conclusion wasn’t shocking—the more active people were, the lower their risk of dying—things definitely got interesting when comparing the moderately inactive group to the inactive group: The moderately inactive group was about 20% less likely to die than the inactive group. If you fall into the inactive group, researchers say it doesn’t take much to nudge your way up to the moderately inactive group, thus significantly reducing your chances of death in the process: Simply walk 20 minutes a day. So what are you waiting for? Lace up those sneakers! MORE: 9 New Walking Workouts To Blast Fat And Best Boredom
