Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to improve your health and fitness? If so, take note; a new study suggests regular group walking may reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease and depression, among other potentially life-threatening conditions.

Share on Pinterest Participants who joined walking groups experienced significant reductions in blood pressure, body fat, body mass index (BMI), resting heart rate and total cholesterol, a new study found.

These findings – published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, a journal of The BMJ – come from researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK.

The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, set by the US Department of Health and Human Services, recommend that adults should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity – such as brisk walking – each week.

A 2013 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, found that almost half of adults in the US do not meet these recommendations.

The research team, led by Sarah Hanson and Prof. Andy Jones – both of the Norwich Medical School at UEA – say their findings indicate that clinicians, health professionals and local authorities should recommend walking groups in their local areas as a means of encouraging physical activity among the general public.

The health benefits of walking are well documented. In September 2014, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting hourly 5-minute walks may reverse arterial damage caused by sitting down for long periods, while a more recent study claimed that just 20 minutes of brisk walking a day could reduce the risk of premature death.

For this study, Hanson, Prof. Jones and their team set out to determine the health benefits associated with group walking. “Although walking groups are increasingly popular, we have not known if there are wider health benefits from walking groups, apart from increasing physical activity,” Hanson told MNT.