Dec 25, 2013 04:37 PM EST By Jaleesa Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Walking to your destination instead of driving there could add a few more years to your life, according to a new study.

New research from the American Heart Association (AHA) suggests people who meet or exceed physical activity recommendations may be less likely to die early than those who walk a little, Reuters reported. The AHA recommends adults be active for at least two and a half hours per week.

"An important question left to be answered is how much walking is beneficial," study author Paul Williams, from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, told Reuters.

Researchers analyzed data from 42,000 mostly middle-aged people who enrolled in the National Walkers' Health Study between 1998 and 2001.

The participants filled out questionnaires about their health and lifestyle, including exercise and eating habits.

Researchers then used death records to track who in the study was still alive at the end of 2008.

Twenty-three percent of participants in the study didn't walk enough to meet physical activity guidelines. Sixteen percent met the guidelines, and the rest exceeded them.

Reuters reported 2,448 people, or 6 percent, died over an average of nine and a half years.

They observed that compared to people who didn't meet the guidelines, those who walked more than the basic recommendation had a one-third lower chance of dying during the study period. Those who met but didn't exceed the recommendation had an 11 percent lower chance.

Researchers also found that participants who walked more had a reduced risk of dying from a stroke and heart disease, in particular.

Williams said that although walking provides plenty of health benefits it is uncertain if the study proves walking will extend a person's life. He noted that people who walk more may do so because they are healthier and therefore more able to be active.

"There is always the question of the chicken and the egg - whether people who are healthier are able to walk farther or, conversely, whether the longer distance they walk may translate into better health benefits," Williams said.

He also suggested AHA bump up the minimum amount of physical activity to five hours per week and develop a two-tier recommendation system: one tier would aim to get people active, and the other to add to the activity people are already doing, Reuters reported.

"Achieving the weekly exercise guidelines is good," Williams said, "but exceeding them is even better."

María Simón, national spokesperson for the AHA, agreed.

"When it comes to walking, more is obviously better," Simón, who was not involved in the study, told Reuters. "I believe the take-home of this and similar studies is a positive one: 'Move . . . Just get up and move.'"

The study was published in the journal PlOS One.

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