A DAILY stroll could cut the risk of a stroke by nearly two thirds
without the need for power walking, researchers have suggested.Walking between one and two hours a day can cut the risk of a stroke by a
third, while longer walks can lower the risk by two thirds. Rearchers found that the length of time spent walking had a bigger impact than speed.The study, published in the American journal Stroke, examined 3,435 healthy men aged 60 to 80.Participants were questioned about the distance they walked each week and their usual walking pace.The research showed that men who walked for eight to 14 hours a
week were a third less likely to suffer a stroke than those who spent no
more than three hours walking. For men walking more than 22 hours a
week, the risk was two thirds lower.Dr Barbara Jefferis, the lead researcher at University College
London, said: “The total time spent walking was more consistently
protective against stroke than walking pace; overall it seemed that
accumulating more time walking was most beneficial.”Dr Shannon Amoils, from the British Heart Foundation, said the
study, which it part-funded, suggested that “even a daily stroll in the
park can be an effective way to keep healthy”.In 2010, a study by Harvard researchers found that women who
walked for two or more hours a week were 30 per cent less likely to
suffer a stroke than those who rarely walked very far. Women who said
they normally walked at a fast pace, classified as at least three miles
an hour, reduced their risk by 37 per cent.
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