A new study suggests a single, longer daily walk may offer greater heart and longevity benefits than several shorter walks, even when total daily steps are similar.
Published in Annals of Internal Medicine, the research analyzed 33,560 adults from the UK Biobank who averaged fewer than 8,000 steps per day (mean ~5,165) and were free of cardiovascular disease and cancer at baseline (study enrollment 2013–2015). Participants wore fitness trackers for seven days and were grouped by the typical duration of walking bouts that made up most of their daily steps: under 5 minutes, 5 to under 10 minutes, 10 to under 15 minutes, and 15 minutes or longer. About 43% fell into the under-5-minute group, while only 8% regularly took walks of 15 minutes or more.
Over an average follow-up of eight years, there were 735 deaths and 3,119 cardiovascular events. People who accumulated most of their steps in walks of 15 minutes or longer had much lower rates of death and cardiovascular events than those whose steps came in very short bouts. All-cause mortality was 4.36% in the shortest-bout group versus 0.80% in the longest-bout group — an 83% lower relative mortality risk. Cardiovascular event rates were about 13% for the shortest-bout group versus 4.39% for the 15-minute-plus group, roughly one-third the risk.
Experts not involved in the study emphasized the potential importance of walking pattern, not just step count. Evan Brittain, MD, a cardiovascular medicine professor, noted that among people averaging fewer than 8,000 steps daily, those who intentionally sustain a walk for 10–15 minutes tend to have better outcomes than those whose activity is limited to brief episodes. Sarah F. Eby, MD, PhD, a sports medicine specialist, added that while any activity is better than none, people who are more sedentary may need deliberate, quality exercise bouts rather than incidental steps to gain maximal benefit.
The authors and outside experts caution that the study is observational and based on a short snapshot of activity, so causation cannot be definitively established. It’s unclear exactly why longer walks would yield greater health benefits; the researchers suggest longer bouts may better engage cardiometabolic processes such as improving insulin sensitivity. More longitudinal, real-world activity data would help confirm these findings and clarify mechanisms.
Practical takeaways and strategies to incorporate longer walks include:
– Take a 10–15 minute walk after a meal.
– Park farther away to add walking distance.
– Schedule phone calls while you walk.
– Hold walking meetings with coworkers.
– Try interval-style “Japanese walking” to gently raise heart rate.
Barriers exist: some people can only fit short bouts into their day because of time constraints, work schedules, unsafe or polluted neighborhoods, or health conditions like knee osteoarthritis that make longer walks difficult. Clinicians should tailor activity recommendations to individual goals, abilities, and circumstances, finding meaningful, enjoyable ways to promote regular exercise.
Bottom line: For people who are suboptimally active, intentionally taking a sustained 10–15 minute walk may provide substantially greater reductions in mortality and cardiovascular risk than the same number of steps accumulated in very short bouts. However, any increase in physical activity is beneficial, and recommendations should consider individual limitations and contexts.
