In the age of Fitbit and the Apple Watch many may think walking is only beneficial if you meet certain step goals. A new study, published Thursday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, suggests that might not be the case. Instead, experts suggest that regular walking, even without meeting minimum requirements, can lower a person's mortality risk when compared to being sedentary.
"Walking has been described as the 'perfect exercise' because it is simple, free, convenient, doesn't require any special equipment or training" says doctor Alpa Patel. Current guidelines recommend that adults have at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity a week. Only around half of adults actually meet these guidelines.