Walking is a simple and accessible way to achieve your exercise goals. To reap the longevity benefits of daily walking, you can walk farther or faster, a new study suggests.
The study used data from 64,743 adults in the UK whose average age was 62 years. All wore activity trackers on their wrists for a week to monitor their step counts and daily pace. During a follow-up period of approximately eight years, 1,697 deaths were recorded in the study group, 502 of which were due to cardiovascular disease.
To determine each person’s walking pace, the researchers calculated the average steps per minute during the 30 minutes of most intense activity of the day, which were not necessarily consecutive. The number of daily steps was classified as less than 5,000; 5,000 to 7,500; 7,500 to 10,000; and above 10,000 steps per day.
They compared groups with different combinations of these parameters to a reference group of people taking fewer than 5,000 daily steps at a pace of 45 steps per minute. People who took fewer than 5,000 steps per day but at a faster pace had a significantly lower risk of dying from cardiovascular or other causes. In fact, their risk was similar to that of people walking between 5,000 and 7,500 steps per day, but at a slower pace. Taking 7,500 to 10,000 steps per day was linked to the lowest mortality rates among all step groups. Maintaining a brisk pace – at least 90 to 100 steps per minute – for 30 minutes per day is a promising goal for longevity, the authors say. For people facing barriers such as time or limited abilities, flexible combinations of step counts and speed can also be good options. The study was published online on September 8, 2026 by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Image: © Ariel Skelley/Getty Images
Gn Health
