Study finds walking faster or more can help people live longer

Walking fewer than 5,000 steps a day at a brisk pace can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and death just as effectively as walking between 5,000 and 7,500 steps at a slower pace, according to a study published on September 8, 2026, in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The study relied on data from 64,743 adults in the United Kingdom with an average age of 62, all of whom wore wrist activity trackers for a week. Researchers tracked daily step counts and pace during a follow-up period of about eight years, recording 1,697 deaths in the group, including 502 from cardiovascular disease.

Evaluating Walking Pace and Step Counts for Longevity

To establish each participant’s walking speed, researchers averaged the steps per minute across the 30 highest-activity minutes of the day, which did not need to be consecutive. Daily step totals were divided into four brackets: fewer than 5,000 steps; 5,000 to 7,500 steps; 7,500 to 10,000 steps; and above 10,000 steps. These brackets were evaluated against a reference group that took fewer than 5,000 daily steps at a pace of 45 steps per minute. Participants who took fewer than 5,000 steps but maintained a faster pace still showed a substantially reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular or other causes.

Taking between 7,500 and 10,000 steps per day yielded the lowest overall death rates among all the evaluated step groups. Study authors noted that maintaining a brisk pace of at least 90 to 100 steps per minute for 30 minutes daily serves as a promising target for longevity. For individuals facing barriers such as limited time or ability, flexible combinations of step counts and speed provide viable alternatives.

Contrasting Thresholds Across Recent Cardiovascular Studies

The British Journal of Sports Medicine findings arrive alongside other large-scale evaluations examining how daily movement impacts overall health. A July 2025 study published in The Lancet Public Health by a University of Sydney team led by Professor Melody Ding pooled 57 studies from more than ten countries covering over 160,000 adults. While the 10,000-step target remains ubiquitous on consumer fitness tracking devices, cardiologists note that the American Heart Association long ago established a baseline recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, designating brisk walking as the activity it names first. Meanwhile, fitness experts differ on whether casual walking alone constitutes formal exercise. Yash Vardhan Swami, founder and transformation coach at TrainedByYVS, stated that gradual pace increases provide meaningful cardiovascular stimulus, particularly for people who are currently inactive. Ebenezer Samuel, CSCS, fitness director for Men's Health, noted that walking can definitely be a workout for some populations while it is not for others depending on where they are on their fitness journey.

Additional Health Impacts and Practical Application

Walking also serves as a useful tool for weight management, allowing individuals to increase daily energy expenditure without the demands of higher-intensity exercise. Post-meal walks can assist with blood sugar management, while regular movement supports circulation, makes individuals feel more energized, works the leg muscles, and keeps joints moving. For beginners, working toward roughly 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day provides a practical starting point, though how a person walks matters as well. As fitness improves and a walk begins to feel effortless, individuals can increase their pace toward a brisk walk, add an incline, or introduce another form of exercise rather than simply chasing a higher step count. Jane Fonda, who is 88 years old and released a workout video in 1982 that sold seventeen million copies, still works out every day, telling People, I essentially do everything I used to do, just slower. I used to be a runner, but now I love walking. I love being outdoors.

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