Longer Walking Bouts Linked to Lower Heart Disease Risk and Longevity
Walking is a simple, scalable form of exercise, but new research suggests the way you accumulate those steps matters just as much as the total number. A large international study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that adults who tended to accumulate most of their daily steps in bouts of 15 minutes or longer had significantly lower risks of heart disease and death over roughly a decade.
The study followed 33,560 healthy adults, with an average age of 62, living in the United Kingdom. Over a period of about 9.5 years, researchers used wrist-worn accelerometers to track daily movement, recording 3 to 7 days of activity for each participant between 2013 and 2015 in the UK Biobank database.
Four Walking “Doses” Show Distinct Health Outcomes
Researchers categorized participants into four groups based on how they accumulated steps:
- short bouts of less than five minutes
- five to less than 10 minutes
- 10 to less than 15 minutes
- 15 minutes or longer
The largest group, 42.9%, fell into the under-five-minute category, highlighting how common short bursts are in daily life. After nearly a decade of follow-up, those who walked in longer bouts had the lowest mortality, while the shortest-bout group had the highest risk of death.
Similarly, heart-disease risk decreased as walking bouts lengthened. The protective effect was strongest among participants who had been less physically active in the past, indicating substantial benefits for people who start or increase walking later in life.
Why Longer Walks May Be More Beneficial
Co-lead study author Borja del Pozo Cruz, a professor at Universidad Europea de Madrid, described the different walking durations as “doses.” He noted a clear dose-response relationship: the longer the walking bout, the greater the health gains observed in the study.
The researchers emphasized that measuring health impact through bout length—rather than total steps or intensity—offers a straightforward message for the public. “Everyone understands steps,” said del Pozo Cruz, pointing to the accessibility of step-tracking on smartphones and fitness devices as a practical tool to guide healthier habits.
Older Adults and Public Health Messaging
Commenting on the findings, other experts highlighted the implications for aging populations. The average participant age was 62, a period when risks for heart disease begin to rise for many. The study suggests it’s never too late to start walking longer, moderate bouts as part of daily life. For those who have historically been sedentary, the switch to longer, steady walking can yield meaningful health dividends over time.
Experts also pointed out that the study’s design focused on real-world walking patterns rather than prescribed exercise regimens. While the popular notion of “10,000 steps a day” remains common in fitness marketing, this research argues for a nuanced approach: prioritizing longer walking segments may unlock more substantial heart-health benefits than merely chasing higher step counts.
Context and Limitations
The study’s large sample size and long follow-up strengthen its findings, but there are caveats. About 97% of participants were White, which may limit generalizability to more diverse populations. Additionally, walking patterns were observed at a single period, and habits can change over time. Nevertheless, the longevity of the dataset helps mitigate short-term fluctuations and highlights a clear trend: longer walking bouts confer substantial health advantages, especially for those who were less active to begin with.
Practical Recommendations: Making Longer Walks Work
If you’re aiming to improve heart health and longevity, consider these practical steps:
- Shift some daily strolls into longer, uninterrupted walks of 15 minutes or more when possible.
- Bundle multiple 15-minute sessions into a single longer outing, such as a 30–45 minute walk after work or on weekends.
- Use a wearable or phone to monitor bout lengths, not just total steps, to guide progress.
- Regardless of age, starting or increasing longer walking sessions can yield benefits, especially if you’ve been mostly sedentary.
As health researchers and clinicians emphasize, walking is a democratic form of exercise: accessible, low-cost, and adaptable to most lifestyles. The message from this study is simple and actionable—start extending your walks, and your heart may thank you years down the line.
