Walking is one of the simplest forms of physical activity, but new research suggests that how much people walk — and how quickly they walk — may both matter for long-term health.
A study involving 64,743 adults in the United Kingdom examined the relationship between daily steps, walking pace and mortality. Participants had an average age of 62 and wore wrist activity trackers for one week to record their movement.
Researchers then followed the participants for approximately eight years. During that period, 1,697 deaths occurred, including 502 deaths from cardiovascular disease.
The researchers divided participants into different groups according to their average number of daily steps and walking pace. Daily activity was grouped into fewer than 5,000 steps, 5,000 to 7,500 steps, 7,500 to 10,000 steps and more than 10,000 steps.
The study found that people taking between 7,500 and 10,000 steps per day had the lowest death rates among the step-count groups examined.
However, the research also highlighted the potential importance of walking speed. People who took fewer than 5,000 steps but walked at a faster pace had a substantially lower risk of death compared with people who took fewer steps at a slower pace.
Researchers suggested that maintaining a brisk walking pace of approximately 90 to 100 steps per minute for around 30 minutes could be a practical target for some adults.
Importantly, the results do not mean that everyone needs to reach a specific step count every day. People’s physical abilities, age, health conditions and lifestyles vary considerably.
The research also cannot prove that walking itself directly caused the lower mortality rates. It is an observational study, meaning researchers examined patterns between physical activity and health outcomes rather than assigning participants to specific exercise programs.
Still, the findings add to a large body of evidence suggesting that regular physical activity is associated with better cardiovascular and overall health.
Walking can be particularly accessible because it does not necessarily require expensive equipment or a gym membership. Short walks throughout the day can also contribute to overall activity levels.
The researchers’ findings suggest that people who have difficulty reaching very high step counts may still benefit from increasing the pace of the walking they already do.
For example, someone who cannot spend hours walking may be able to incorporate several shorter periods of faster walking into their day, depending on their individual health and physical ability.
The study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine and adds another perspective to the ongoing discussion about how physical activity can support healthy aging.
The broader message from the research is not that there is one perfect number of steps for everyone. Instead, it suggests that both movement volume and walking intensity can be relevant when scientists examine long-term health.
As researchers continue studying wearable activity data, future studies may provide more information about how different patterns of movement affect cardiovascular health, longevity and quality of life.
