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4 min readA new study reports that people who walked continuously for 10 to 15 minutes at a time each day had a lower risk of cardiovascular events than those whose walks typically lasted about five minutes.
The benefits of longer walks were even greater for those who took only 5,000 steps a day in total.To reap cardiovascular rewards, experts say the body needs either more total activity or higher effort per minute.<\/p>\n
Exercise “snacks”<\/a> are popular for a reason: These little chunks of movement that you fit in throughout the day can add up to bigger fitness gains<\/a> over time. But how short is too short?<\/p>\n A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine<\/a> suggests that\u2014at least for heart health\u2014you may want to set aside at least 10 minutes at a time when it comes to your daily walks.<\/p>\n Luckily, this time frame isn\u2019t long, but it does challenge the idea that grabbing a few steps here and there is all it takes to ward off your risk of cardiovascular issues. Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n Meet the experts: Christopher Berg, MD<\/a>, is a cardiologist at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. Emmanuel Stamatakis, PhD<\/a>, is the study co-author and professor of physical activity, lifestyle, and population health at The University of Sydney. Borja del Pozo Cruz, PhD<\/a>, is the lead study author and a professor in the Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics at the University of Southern Denmark.<\/p>\n What did the study find?<\/p>\n For the study, researchers analyzed data from 33,560 people between the ages of 40 and 79 who walked fewer than 8,000 steps a day and had no history of cardiovascular disease or cancer.<\/p>\n The participants wore fitness trackers for a week to track their step counts and how those steps were distributed during the day. After that, the researchers followed the participants\u2019 health for about eight years.<\/p>\n The researchers found that people who walked continuously for 10 to 15 minutes a day had about a 4% risk of a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke, compared to 13% in those who strolled for only about five minutes at a time.<\/p>\n The perks were the biggest for people who were the least active overall (namely, those who took 5,000 or fewer steps a day). In this group, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease dropped from 15% for short walkers to 7% in those who walked up to 15 minutes at a time.<\/p>\n Why might longer walks be better?<\/p>\n There are likely a few things going on here. \u201cMost walking in this study was of light intensity,\u201d says Emmanuel Stamatakis, PhD<\/a>, study co-author and professor of physical activity, lifestyle, and population health at The University of Sydney. \u201cWhen you walk for 10 to 15 minutes or longer without stopping, your heart and lungs get a chance to work continuously.\u201d This \u201csteady-state\u201d activity helps your body use oxygen more efficiently, improving your circulation in the process, he says.<\/p>\n This can be especially helpful in people who are usually inactive, says Borja del Pozo Cruz, PhD<\/a>, lead study author and a professor in the Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics at the University of Southern Denmark. \u201cTo gain cardiovascular benefits, the body needs either sufficient volume (more total activity) or intensity (higher effort per minute) and continuous walking achieves a combination of both, even at moderate speeds,\u201d del Pozo Cruz says.<\/p>\n On the flip side, walking in shorter bursts with a lower level of intensity doesn\u2019t let your cardiovascular system \u201cswitch on\u201d long enough to tease out these benefits, Stamatakis says.<\/p>\n
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