We all know that walking is one of the most effective and accessible exercises for boosting heart health, but for a long time, the debate has raged over whether short bursts of walking or a longer stroll is best. New research has found that one longer walk a day is better for your heart health than multiple short strolls, but no, you don’t need to aim for 10,000 steps. Let’s take a look at the findings of the study below.
The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, examined 33,560 adults aged 40-79 in the UK who walked fewer than 8,000 steps per day. The participants were grouped by how long their walks were, measured with a step counter over a week:
- Less than 5 minutes (43%)
- 5 to 10 minutes (33.5%)
- 10 to 15 minutes (15.5%)
- 15 minutes or more (8%)
Researchers from the University of Sydney and Universidad Europea in Spain tracked the participants’ health over eight years. They found that people who walked in longer stretches had a lower risk of heart problems than those who walked in short bursts.
The researchers concluded that walking for at least 15 minutes without stopping is ideal — that’s about 1,500 steps in a row, which is enough to give your heart a workout.
Co-lead researcher Prof Emmanuel Stamatakis said: "We tend to place all the emphasis on the number of steps or the total amount of walking but neglect the crucial role of patterns, for example, 'how' walking is done.
"This study shows that even people who are very physically inactive can maximize their heart health benefit by tweaking their walking patterns to walk for longer at a time, ideally for at least 10-15 minutes, when possible."
The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, like brisk walking, to look after your physical and mental health.
What are the benefits of walking?
When you walk briskly, even for a short period, your heart rate increases. Over time, consistent training strengthens your heart, allowing it to pump blood around your body more efficiently. Walking can also help your blood vessels become more flexible, lowering your blood pressure.
If you’re new to walking workouts, it’s important to think about how you’re walking. Make sure you’re wearing a comfortable pair of sneakers, and set aside some time for your walk. Keep your core muscles engaged, thinking about sucking your belly button into your spine, and your torso upright, swinging your arms as you move. As you get fitter, increase your pace or add minutes to your daily walk. You can also make things harder by increasing the incline.
One of the best ways to keep track of your daily steps and overall health is to strap one of the best fitness trackers to your wrist. This will help you see at a glance how active you’ve been each day and how far you’ve traveled during your walking workout.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
