Longer periods of continuous walking are more beneficial to cardiovascular health than walking the same number of steps in shorter, more sporadic bouts, new research suggests.
An international study by the University of Sydney and the Universidad Europea in Spain, published in the Annals of International Medicine, analysed the impact of walking on the health of physically inactive people.
The study shows that even people who are very physically inactive can maximise their heart health benefit by tweaking their walking patterns to walk for longer at a time.Credit: Courtney Kruk
It found that among people who took fewer than 8000 steps per day, those who accumulate most of their steps across one or two walks lasting at least 10 to 15 minutes or longer have a lower risk of mortality and cardiovascular events (such as a heart attack or stroke) compared to those who take their steps in very short bouts of less than five minutes.
Co-lead author Dr Matthew Ahmadi said: “For the most inactive people, switching from brief walks here and there to longer continuous walks may come with some health benefits.
“There is a perception that health professionals have recommended walking 10,000 steps a day is the goal, but this isn’t necessary. Simply adding one or two longer walks per day, each lasting at least 10-15 minutes at a comfortable but steady pace, may have significant benefits – especially for people who don’t walk much.”
