Core Insights - A groundbreaking study from the UK Biobank reveals that simple brisk walking can effectively extend lifespan, challenging traditional beliefs about exercise duration and intensity [4][5][7] - The study indicates that maintaining a daily brisk walking habit of just 10 minutes can lead to an average lifespan increase of 1.4 years for men and 0.9 years for women [4][8] - The research emphasizes that the intensity of exercise, rather than just the duration, plays a crucial role in health benefits, with brisk walking being the ideal exercise for most people [5][8] Summary by Sections Study Overview - A long-term study involving over 71,000 middle-aged and older adults provides compelling evidence for the relationship between exercise intensity and longevity [7] - The research utilized high-precision accelerometers to objectively monitor daily activities over nearly seven years, recording 1,719 deaths primarily from cancer [7] Key Findings - For individuals aged 60 and above, those maintaining high levels of both exercise volume and intensity can expect a lifespan of 95.6 years for women and 94.5 years for men, which is 3.4 and 4.6 years longer than those with the lowest activity levels, respectively [7] - The study found that even without increasing total exercise volume, simply enhancing intensity (e.g., switching from walking to brisk walking) can significantly increase lifespan, with women gaining an average of 1.7 years and men also benefiting by over 1.7 years [7] Practical Implications - The research suggests that sedentary individuals can gain 0.9 years of life by adding just 10 minutes of brisk walking daily, and this benefit increases to 1.4 years for women and 2.5 years for men with 30 minutes of brisk walking [8] - The findings indicate that the health benefits of exercise intensity are consistent across different age groups and are not influenced by factors such as BMI or chronic diseases [8] - The study introduces a novel way to visualize lifespan differences using a "zodiac cycle" (12 years) and "half-century" metrics, enhancing public understanding of the findings [8]