Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
For adults who are largely inactive, clustering steps into longer walks appears to offer meaningful protection against early death and heart disease.
A new study suggests that health gains from walking may depend not only on how much people move, but how they do it.
In a new study, researchers analysed walking habits among tens of thousands of people who did not meet common activity targets, aiming to understand whether walking patterns matter independently of total step counts.
How the study worked
The analysis, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, drew on data from 33,560 UK Biobank participants who averaged fewer than 8,000 steps per day.
Their movements were tracked and classified by the typical length of walking bouts, ranging from under five minutes to sessions lasting at least 15 minutes.
Participants recorded a median of 5,165 daily steps. Most accumulated their movement in very short bursts, with fewer than one in ten regularly walking for 15 minutes or longer at a time.
Clear survival gap
Over a median follow-up of 9.5 years, outcomes diverged sharply. People whose walking mainly occurred in brief episodes under five minutes had the highest risk of dying from any cause.
Mortality rates steadily declined as walking sessions became longer, with the lowest risks seen among those who walked for at least 10 to 15 minutes at a stretch.
The findings held even though all participants logged similar overall step counts, pointing to walking pattern as a key factor.
Heart health impact
Cardiovascular disease showed an even stronger association. Individuals relying on short bursts of movement faced the greatest likelihood of heart-related conditions, while those who concentrated steps into longer walks had markedly lower cumulative risk.
Biggest gains for the least active
The benefits were most pronounced among people taking fewer than 5,000 steps a day. In this group, longer, uninterrupted walks were strongly linked to better long-term health outcomes.
The researchers conclude that for sedentary adults, prioritising sustained walks may deliver health benefits even without increasing total daily steps.
Sources: Annals of Internal Medicine, UK Biobank, Science Daily
