15-Minute Walks Linked to Lower Heart Disease Risk, Study Finds

A recent study suggests that walking for just 10 to 15 minutes at a time may significantly enhance health and longevity compared to splitting steps into shorter walks throughout the day. The research, published in October 2023, examined the impact of walking patterns on heart disease risks and overall mortality among middle-aged and older adults.

The study utilized data from the UK Biobank, which includes extensive health records from over 500,000 participants. It specifically focused on 33,560 individuals, primarily in their 60s, who reported minimal formal exercise and averaged fewer than 8,000 steps daily. Participants wore activity trackers for one week, providing researchers with valuable insights into their walking habits.

Findings indicated that those who engaged in walks lasting 15 minutes or more had approximately half the risk of developing heart disease compared to individuals who rarely walked for that duration. Moreover, this group was less likely to die from any cause during the study period, which spanned several years.

Emmanuel Stamatakis, a professor at the University of Sydney and lead author of the study, emphasized the importance of understanding activity patterns. “With physical activity, we know that the more, the better,” he stated. “But we haven’t had a very good understanding of the role of the pattern of that activity.”

The research builds upon previous studies exploring how even brief periods of physical activity can yield significant health benefits. Stamatakis and his colleagues speculated that increasing the duration of walking sessions could enhance these advantages without necessarily increasing intensity.

According to the study, current physical activity guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, which includes brisk walking. Yet, Stamatakis pointed out that approximately 75 to 80 percent of individuals do not meet these recommendations, with many rarely engaging in physical activity.

Longer Walks Yield Greater Benefits

To delve deeper into the relationship between walking duration and health outcomes, the researchers categorized participants based on the length of their longest daily walk: five minutes or fewer, ten minutes, or 15 minutes or more. They then analyzed health records for up to a decade following the data collection.

The results were illuminating. Participants who walked for 15 continuous minutes or longer demonstrated the lowest incidence of heart attacks and cardiovascular problems. Furthermore, those who managed walks of at least ten minutes also exhibited lower risks of heart disease and increased longevity compared to those whose longest walks lasted only five minutes.

Crucially, these benefits were observed even when participants maintained similar overall step counts. The researchers theorized that longer walking bouts activate cardiovascular and metabolic systems more effectively than shorter sessions.

Darren Warburton, an exercise scientist at the University of British Columbia, hailed the study as an insightful contribution to understanding physical activity’s health benefits, stating, “This is a very important epidemiological paper that sheds further light into the importance of being physically active.”

While the study establishes a correlation between longer walking sessions and improved health outcomes, it does not prove causation. Those who engage in longer walks may inherently lead healthier lifestyles, encompassing better dietary choices and other beneficial habits.

The findings were particularly significant for individuals who typically walked fewer than 5,000 steps daily. For this group, clustering steps into longer walking sessions yielded more substantial reductions in heart disease and mortality risks compared to those who generally walked more but did not extend their walking duration.

Ultimately, the study advocates for increased walking among individuals. “We have a lot of data from other studies showing that any amount of physical activity is good,” noted I-Min Lee, a co-author and professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She urged individuals to aim for longer walking sessions when possible, asserting, “But the total amount of activity matters more than the pattern in which it’s accumulated.”

This research underscores the potential health benefits of simple lifestyle adjustments, encouraging individuals to embrace longer periods of walking for improved cardiovascular health and overall well-being.