!function(n){if(!window.cnx){window.cnx={},window.cnx.cmd=[];var t=n.createElement('iframe');t.display='none',t.onload=function(){var n=t.contentWindow.document,c=n.createElement('script');c.src='//cd.connatix.com/connatix.player.js',c.setAttribute('async','1'),c.setAttribute('type','text/javascript'),n.body.appendChild(c)},n.head.appendChild(t)}}(document);(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb';cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({"playerId":"8b034f64-513c-4987-b16f-42d6008f7feb","mediaId":"c41e05a6-7ba0-42f1-8023-0f5ff30eab87"}).render("6a61d70ce4b063cecec8a2ea");}); Sure, it’s not as intense as a sprint. But walking definitely counts as a workout – and if you ask doctors, it’s a pretty good one. Getting your steps in (7,000 a day seems to be the sweet spot) has been linked to a 47% lower risk of early death, as well as a reduced likelihood of cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia, depression, and falls, compared to 2,000 steps a day. But does how, and when, we walk matter? After all, some research suggests that “weekend warriors” (those who don’t work out much throughout the week, but hit the gym or finish a long run on their days off) see just as many benefits as those who chip away at their goals on a daily basis. Are fewer long walks better than lots of shorter walks for health? A 2025 study looked at data from 33,560 adults in the UK Biobank (a program in which people agree to make their health information available to researchers). All participants averaged 8,000 steps or fewer per day (median: 5,165 steps). That didn’t mean they all walked the same amount daily, though: this is just how it evened out over a week They asked people involved (whose average age was 62) whether their typical walks lasted: less than five minutes, five to 10 minutes, 10-15 minutes, 15+ minutes. Almost half of them (43%) walked in short bursts that lasted less than five minutes, while only 8% said their strolling sessions lasted more than a quarter of an hour. Over an average follow-up period of 7.9 years, the risk of death seemed to lower for people whose walking periods were longer. The sub-five-minute walkers saw a 4.36% likelihood of early death. Those who usually walked five to 10 minutes at a time had a 1.83% risk; and the 10-15-minute group, meanwhile, had a 0.84% likelihood. But the risk of early mortality was especially low among those who regularly walked 15 minutes or more (0.8%). Longer walks appear to be linked to better heart health outcomes The numbers took a similar pattern for heart disease, too. Those who tended to take the shortest walks had a cardiovascular disease risk of 13.03% after eight years. But the people who walked 15 minutes or more had the lowest risk of all at 4.39%. Therefore, they concluded, adults who weren’t hitting recommended fitness goals but “accumulated most of their daily steps in longer bouts had lower mortality and [cardiovascular disease] risk than those who accumulated most daily steps in shorter bouts”. Of course, the World Health Organisation’s guidelines, which advise 75 minutes of high-intensity activity, or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity movement (like walking) per week, is still the best advice to follow. Related... 'Walking Football' Could Hold The Secret To Healthy Ageing Your Walking Speed After 80 Could Mean A 50% Lower Dementia Risk Tiny Walking Changes Could Slow Knee Arthritis Down
Sure, it’s not as intense as a sprint. But walking definitely counts as a workout – and if you ask doctors, it’s a pretty good one. Getting your steps in (7,000 a day seems to be the sweet spot) has been linked to a 47% lower risk of early death, as well as a reduced likelihood of cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia, depression, and falls, compared to 2,000 steps a day. But does how, and when, we walk matter? After all, some research suggests that “weekend warriors” (those who don’t work out much throughout the week, but hit the gym or finish a long run on their days off) see just as many benefits as those who chip away at their goals on a daily basis. Are fewer long walks better than lots of shorter walks for health? A 2025 study looked at data from 33,560 adults in the UK Biobank (a program in which people agree to make their health information available to researchers). All participants averaged 8,000 steps or fewer per day (median: 5,165 steps). That didn’t mean they all walked the same amount daily, though: this is just how it evened out over a week They asked people involved (whose average age was 62) whether their typical walks lasted: less than five minutes, five to 10 minutes, 10-15 minutes, 15+ minutes. Almost half of them (43%) walked in short bursts that lasted less than five minutes, while only 8% said their strolling sessions lasted more than a quarter of an hour. Over an average follow-up period of 7.9 years, the risk of death seemed to lower for people whose walking periods were longer. The sub-five-minute walkers saw a 4.36% likelihood of early death. Those who usually walked five to 10 minutes at a time had a 1.83% risk; and the 10-15-minute group, meanwhile, had a 0.84% likelihood. But the risk of early mortality was especially low among those who regularly walked 15 minutes or more (0.8%). Longer walks appear to be linked to better heart health outcomes The numbers took a similar pattern for heart disease, too. Those who tended to take the shortest walks had a cardiovascular disease risk of 13.03% after eight years. But the people who walked 15 minutes or more had the lowest risk of all at 4.39%. Therefore, they concluded, adults who weren’t hitting recommended fitness goals but “accumulated most of their daily steps in longer bouts had lower mortality and [cardiovascular disease] risk than those who accumulated most daily steps in shorter bouts”. Of course, the World Health Organisation’s guidelines, which advise 75 minutes of high-intensity activity, or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity movement (like walking) per week, is still the best advice to follow. Related... 'Walking Football' Could Hold The Secret To Healthy Ageing Your Walking Speed After 80 Could Mean A 50% Lower Dementia Risk Tiny Walking Changes Could Slow Knee Arthritis Down
