A groundbreaking new study led by international researchers, including experts from the University of Sydney and Universidad Europea in Spain, has reshaped our understanding of how walking habits impact cardiovascular health. Contrary to conventional recommendations emphasizing the sheer number of steps taken daily, this research highlights the critical importance of how these steps are accumulated, suggesting that continuous walking sessions lasting 10 to 15 minutes offer significantly greater cardiovascular benefits than shorter, sporadic strolls.
For decades, health guidelines have promoted the goal of 10,000 daily steps as a universal benchmark for maintaining general health and reducing disease risk. However, this new research, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, reveals that the pattern of walking—specifically the duration of uninterrupted walking bouts—plays a decisive role in heart health, particularly among sub-optimally active adults. Those who accumulate their steps in longer continuous bouts dramatically reduce their risk of cardiovascular events and mortality compared to those spread their walking into short segments lasting less than five minutes.
This study focused on a cohort of 33,560 adults aged 40 to 79, all of whom were physically inactive, taking fewer than 8,000 steps per day, and had no pre-existing cardiovascular disease or cancer at baseline. These participants were monitored using advanced wearable wristbands capable of not only tracking step counts but also precisely measuring the temporal pattern of walking activities across a full week. This data granularity allowed the researchers to dissect how continuous walking bouts influence health outcomes over an eight-year average follow-up period.
The findings were striking. Adults who walked continuously for at least 10 to 15 minutes daily exhibited just a 4% risk of experiencing cardiovascular events such as heart attacks or strokes. In comparison, those whose walking was limited to 5-minute stretches faced a considerably higher risk at 13%. This differential risk underscores the physiological impact of walking duration on cardiovascular stress and adaptation. Long, uninterrupted walking bouts appear to trigger beneficial hemodynamic and metabolic changes that short bouts fail to stimulate effectively.
Among the most sedentary participants—those walking 5,000 or fewer steps daily—the protective effect of longer walking durations was even more pronounced. Here, the risk of cardiovascular disease halved when walking time was increased from brief 5-minute bouts to sustained 15-minute walks. Moreover, this group also saw a dramatic reduction in mortality risk: deaths dropped from 5% for those taking short walks to below 1% for those engaging in longer walking sessions. These mortality outcomes highlight the potential life-saving impact of simple behavior modifications in sedentary populations.
Mechanistically, these results may be explained by the physiological changes induced by sustained walking. Longer bouts promote continuous cardiac output elevation, improved endothelial function, and enhanced insulin sensitivity. In contrast, fragmented walking fails to maintain these beneficial stimuli for a sufficient duration, thus limiting cardiovascular adaptation. The nuanced understanding that not only quantity but also the structure of physical activity matters provides a new paradigm for exercise prescription and public health messaging.
Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, the study’s senior author and Director of the Mackenzie Wearables Research Hub at the University of Sydney, emphasizes that the prevailing focus on step count is insufficient. “We tend to fixate on the number of steps, overlooking the crucial role that walking patterns play,” he explains. “Even individuals with minimal physical activity can maximize their heart health benefits by simply elongating their walking sessions to at least 10-15 minutes.”
Co-lead author Dr. Matthew Ahmadi further elaborates, dispelling myths around the necessity of 10,000 steps. “Our research challenges the perception that everyone must hit 10,000 steps daily. Instead, for the most inactive individuals, moving from multiple short walks to fewer but longer walks can have substantial health implications, even at modest step counts.”
The study’s robust methodology, employing a meta-analysis of high-resolution triaxial accelerometer data linked with longitudinal health outcomes, adds credibility to the findings. This technology captures not just movement quantity but temporal patterns, thereby addressing a critical gap in earlier research that lacked detailed activity timing information.
Importantly, the research team underscores the practical implications of their findings, advocating for simple yet impactful behavioral adjustments. For those with limited time or physical capacity, setting aside dedicated intervals to walk at a steady pace for a continuous 10 to 15 minutes can significantly reduce the incidence of adverse cardiovascular outcomes and premature death.
Dr. Borja del Pozo of the Universidad Europea, co-leading the study, remarks, “This study provides compelling evidence that minor shifts in walking habits—walking longer rather than just more—can profoundly influence cardiovascular health. These findings have the potential to affect public health policies and exercise recommendations worldwide.”
While the study primarily involved adults between 40 and 79 years old, its insights likely extend broadly, particularly to populations struggling with sedentary lifestyles. The study’s reliance on objective wearable data, extensive sample size, and long-term follow-up collectively provide a powerful foundation for redefining walking guidelines in clinical and community health settings.
In conclusion, this pioneering research transforms our comprehension of physical activity’s nuances by shining a spotlight on walking patterns rather than mere step counts. It offers a science-backed strategy to optimize cardiovascular health through manageable lifestyle adjustments, potentially reducing disease burden on a global scale. Moving forward, integrating walking bout duration into health advice could empower millions to reap greater benefits from everyday movement.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Step accumulation patterns and risk of cardiovascular events and mortality amongst sub-optimally active adults
News Publication Date: 27-Oct-2025
Web References:
References:
del Pozo, B., Ahmadi, M., Sabag, A., Saint, Maurice P.F., Lee, I-M., Stamatakis, E., ‘Step accumulation patterns and risk of cardiovascular events and mortality amongst sub-optimally active adults’ (Annals of Internal Medicine, 2025)
Keywords: walking duration, cardiovascular health, step accumulation patterns, physical inactivity, mortality risk, wearable technology, continuous walking bouts, sedentary behavior, heart attack prevention, stroke risk, exercise duration, physical activity guidelines
