A recent research study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine answered the question: are long walks better than short walks? They followed participants for almost 10 years to examine the number of cardiovascular events and all cause mortality. The most benefit in reducing risk of heart events was a walk of 15 minutes or longer. Participants were also encouraged to get at least 5,000 steps per day. Planning a walk of at least 15 minutes has more benefits for reducing risk of heart disease than do shorter walks.
Bottom line: all walks are good since the research showed that even short walks had some benefit. However, if you want the maximum benefit, take a longer walk of 15 minutes or more. Of course, we know for weight management you need much more – 30 minutes or more most days of the week. Even if you plan a 30 minute walk, you still will have 23 hours and 30 minutes to do as you wish the rest of your day. Not too much to ask!
Source:
Del Pozo Cruz B, Ahmadi M, Sabag A, Maurice, PFS, Lee, IM, Stamatakis E. Step accumulation patterns and risk for cardiovascular events and mortality among suboptimally active adults. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2025. https://doi.org/10.7326/ANNALS-25-01547.
Don’t miss another great blog: Subscribe Now