Tired of your smartwatch reminding you that you haven’t hit 10,000 steps today? It’s time to dismiss the notification. Walking any distance is beneficial for health, even if you don’t reach this popular (but actually, pretty arbitrary) threshold.
However, studies haven’t looked into whether taking walks in shorter or longer bursts impacts heart health—until now.
A new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine confirms that it’s not just the steps that count: the length of your daily walks matters, too—and hitting 15 minutes at a time may come with significant cardiovascular and longevity benefits.
The Longer the Walk, the Better the Health Outcomes
This study used the popular health database, the UK Biobank, to draw parallels between walking behavior and risk of death and cardiovascular disease.
An international research team analyzed data from 33,560 adults. Participants averaged 62 years old at the start of the study, and took fewer than 8,000 steps a day. Beginning in 2013, they were instructed to wear a walking sensor for seven days. About a decade later, they underwent follow-up testing so researchers could assess their health.
Researchers used this data to split the participants into four groups based on the typical duration of their walks taken during the day:
- Group 1: walked in spurts shorter than 5 minutes
- Group 2: walked in spurts lasting between 5 and 10 minutes
- Group 3: walked in spurts lasting between 10 and 15 minutes
- Group 4: walked for periods of 15 minutes or longer
They found that the longer participants walked at a time (at least during the days when they wore a monitor), the less likely they were to have died or developed cardiovascular disease by their follow-up.
Better Heart Health
Those who walked for less than five minutes at a time had a 13.03 percent chance of having been diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease at follow-up. Those who walked for 15 minutes or longer had just a 4.39 percent chance.
Extended Longevity
Those who walked for less than five minutes at a time had a 4.36 percent mortality rate (excluding accidents, falls, and other causes of death that were not related to physical activity) at follow-up.
Those who walked for 15 minutes or longer had a 0.80 percent death rate. Those who walked for 10 to 15 minutes at a time had a similarly low rate of 0.84 percent.
These results remained consistent even after researchers adjusted for certain health variables, leading them to conclude that incorporating longer walks into your day, each lasting at least 10 to 15 minutes, may have significant benefits in the long run.
Tips for Walking Longer
“The key takeaway from this study is clear: the longer we walk at one time, the better,” says Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist.
Sagbir, who was not involved in this study, notes that these findings do have some limitations and could be strengthened with future research: “It would be beneficial to conduct randomized controlled trials—which would minimize bias as this study was observational —include more diverse populations, examine the intensity (pace) of walking, and investigate different age groups,” he says.
In addition to your existing strength or endurance workouts, try aiming for one or two longer walks a day to put these findings into motion. Through his personal practice, Sabgir has seen that people tend to walk longer when they’re walking with friends or family, listening to an audiobook or podcast, intentionally choosing a longer route, or walking outside in nature.
If you’re feeling extra energized, try upping the intensity of your bursts for a walk you can feel great about—regardless of step count.
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The post Stop Counting Steps—Track Minutes Walking Instead, New Study Says appeared first on Outside Online.
