Don't Just Sit There, Do Something! Part 2

When it rains, it pours.  While poring over my standard list of journals, I stumbled onto yet another study looking at the beneficial effects of regular physical activity.  In this population-based cohort study of 592 adults (avg 50yo at baseline) followed for 5 years just published in the British Medical Journal, the authors used pedometers to quantify the number of steps taken daily which they then compared to body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and insulin sensitivity.

Unfortunately, close to two-thirds of the participants walked less at the end of 5 years than at baseline.  Compared to those who walked less, those who walked more were more likely to have a lower BMI, lower WHR, and greater insulin sensitivity, all of which could again help explain the lower mortality that we associate with greater physical activity. 

Current recommendations are to take at least 10,000 steps daily.  If that's all it takes to prevent diabetes and premature mortality, I'd say that that's a small price to pay.  The bad news?  It'll probably take more than 30 minutes a day to accomplish.  But I still think that that's time well spent.