Thirty minutes of walking per day keeps strokes away. That's the conclusion of a large study that followed 33,000 people since 1992. Women who spent their leisure time walking at least 3.5 hours per week had less risk of stroke than women who didn't engage in regular walking.
Maximize Your 30-Minute Walk
What is a Stroke?
The study didn't specify how the women achieved 3.5 hours or more per week of walking. But regular moderate-intensity physical activity, spread out throughout the week, is recommended by most health authorities worldwide.
How Much Exercise Do You Need for Health?
This study didn't find an association between vigorous-intensity physical activity (such as running) and reduced risk of stroke, or see reduced risk for men. However, other studies have found those effects.
Photo © Wendy Bumgardner
Source:
José María Huerta, PhD; et. al. "Physical Activity and Risk of Cerebrovascular Disease in the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition-Spain Study" Stroke. 2013; 44: 111-118 doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.112.670612
