New Study Says Count Minutes Not Steps

A new study reports the length of time spent walking is more important to your health than the number of steps taken.

A new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine finds 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.

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.

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.

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.

“The key takeaway from this study is clear: the longer we walk at one time, the better,” says Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist.