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In A Nutshell
Fast walking for just 15 minutes a day was linked to a nearly 20% reduction in death risk in a major long-term study.
The research focused on low-income and Black adults, a population often underrepresented in health studies.
Speed mattered more than duration: slow walking for hours offered far fewer benefits than short bouts of brisk walking.
Findings suggest a simple, low-cost way to improve health and reduce disparities—no gym or fancy equipment required.
NASHVILLE — If you like going on walks regularly, you’ll love this study. Scientists tracking nearly 85,000 Americans for almost two decades say that as little as 15 minutes of brisk walking each day was linked to a nearly 20% lower risk of dying from any cause.
The research, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, stands out because of who participated. Unlike most exercise studies that focus on middle-class White Americans, this one tracked predominantly low-income Black adults across 12 southeastern states. It’s a population that faces higher rates of chronic disease and death but has been largely overlooked in health research.
Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center report that even modest amounts of fast-paced walking could make a meaningful difference in communities where gym memberships, personal trainers, and fancy fitness equipment often aren’t realistic options.
“Fast walking as little as 15 minutes a day was associated with a nearly 20% reduction in total mortality,” the researchers wrote, while “only a 4% reduction in mortality was found in association with more than three hours of daily slow walking.”
A Study That Mirrors Real America
The study authors followed 79,856 adults aged 40 to 79 from 2002 to 2022, with most participants recruited through community health centers serving low-income populations. About two-thirds were Black, and more than half reported annual household incomes below $15,000.
During the median follow-up period of 16.7 years, 26,862 participants died. But those who walked briskly for just 15 minutes daily had markedly lower death rates than those who didn’t walk fast at all.
Most previous studies on walking and health have focused on wealthier, whiter populations, leaving major gaps in understanding how physical activity affects the health of America’s most vulnerable communities. Black Americans have higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, and premature death, yet have been underrepresented in studies that could guide public health recommendations.
The study defined “fast walking” as activities like climbing stairs, brisk walking, or exercising; essentially any walking that gets the heart pumping a bit faster. “Slow walking” included moving around the house, walking at work, or walking the dog at a leisurely pace.
Simply heading outside and picking up a brisk pace for at least 15 minutes every day could be the secret to a longer, healthier life. (© Iona – stock.adobe.com)
Speed Matters More Than Duration
The dramatic difference between fast and slow walking proved to be the study’s most striking discovery. While people who walked slowly for more than three hours daily saw only a modest 4% reduction in death risk, those who managed just 15 minutes of brisk walking saw benefits five times greater.
Nearly half of the study participants reported doing no fast walking at all in their daily routines, while about one-third engaged in slow walking for more than three hours daily. Many people are already moving throughout their days, but may not be moving with enough intensity to maximize health benefits.
The protective effects appeared regardless of participants’ starting health status. People with existing conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease saw even larger reductions in death risk from fast walking than their healthier counterparts, though everyone benefited.
The benefits of fast walking were independent of other forms of exercise, meaning people saw improvements even if they weren’t doing additional activities like sports or gym workouts.
Heart Disease Shows the Biggest Improvements
The protective effects were strongest against cardiovascular disease, which kills more Americans than any other cause. Participants who engaged in fast walking experienced large reductions in heart disease deaths, with the benefits appearing even with short durations.
Brisk walking increases heart rate and oxygen delivery to muscles, strengthening the cardiovascular system over time. It also helps control weight and blood pressure while reducing inflammation, which are all factors that contribute to longer, healthier lives.
Researchers say that heart disease disproportionately affects Black Americans and those with lower incomes, the same populations that made up most of this study. These communities often face barriers to traditional forms of exercise, from unsafe neighborhoods to limited access to recreational facilities.
A Simple Solution for Complex Health Problems
For public health officials trying to reduce health disparities, the research offers a remarkably accessible intervention. Brisk walking requires no special equipment, gym membership, or training. It can be done almost anywhere, at any time, and costs nothing.
The 15-minute threshold is particularly encouraging because it fits easily into most daily routines. That’s less time than many people spend scrolling social media or waiting in line at coffee shops. It could be as simple as walking briskly to the bus stop, taking the stairs instead of elevators, or doing a quick loop around the neighborhood.
However, the researchers acknowledged that even brisk walking can be challenging in communities that lack safe sidewalks, well-lit streets, or parks. Environmental factors like air pollution and neighborhood safety concerns can create real barriers to outdoor physical activity.
The study had several important limitations. Participants self-reported their walking habits just once at the beginning of the study, so researchers couldn’t track how activity levels changed over time. Results also couldn’t prove that walking directly caused the lower death rates, only that the two were strongly associated.
Nonetheless, the message is clear: health benefits don’t require marathon training or expensive fitness programs. For millions of Americans, particularly those in communities hardest hit by chronic disease, 15 minutes of brisk walking daily could be a literal lifesaver.
Paper Summary
Methodology
Researchers analyzed data from the Southern Community Cohort Study, which enrolled approximately 85,000 participants aged 40-79 between 2002-2009 across 12 southeastern U.S. states. Most participants (86%) were recruited through community health centers serving low-income populations, with the remainder selected through random sampling. About two-thirds of participants were Black, and more than half reported annual household incomes below $15,000. Participants completed baseline questionnaires about their daily walking habits, demographic information, lifestyle factors, and health status. The researchers tracked deaths through December 31, 2022, using the National Death Index. They excluded participants who died within the first two years and those with missing walking data, leaving 79,856 people in the final analysis.
Results
Over a median follow-up of 16.7 years, 26,862 deaths occurred. Fast walking showed strong associations with reduced mortality, while slow walking showed minimal benefits. Participants who walked fast for as little as 15 minutes daily had a 19% lower risk of death (hazard ratio: 0.81) compared to those who didn’t walk fast. In contrast, people who walked slowly for more than three hours daily had only a 4% lower death risk. The benefits were strongest for cardiovascular disease deaths, followed by other diseases, cancers, and external causes. Fast walking provided additional benefits even for people who were already physically active through other leisure activities.
Limitations
The study relied on self-reported walking data collected only at baseline, so researchers couldn’t track changes in activity levels over time. Some participants may have included other activities like stair climbing when reporting fast walking, potentially affecting accuracy. The observational design means the study shows association, not causation. Researchers couldn’t completely rule out reverse causation or unmeasured confounding factors. The study also didn’t examine how socioeconomic stressors might influence the relationship between walking and mortality.
Funding and Disclosures
Research was supported by the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U01CA202979 and the Anne Potter Wilson chair endowment to Vanderbilt University. The authors declared no conflicts of interest and reported no financial disclosures.
Publication Information
Liu, L., Jia, G., Shrubsole, M.J., Wen, W., Warren Andersen, S., Sudenga, S.L., & Zheng, W. “Daily walking and mortality in racially and socioeconomically diverse US adults,” is published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on July 29, 2025. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2025.107738