A new study has shown that walking speed may be an important factor in promoting health, even for people who cannot reach a large number of steps per day.
Researchers from the University of Sydney found that increasing walking speed can partially compensate for a low number of steps, as people who walked at a faster pace recorded a significant reduction in the risk of premature death, even when they took fewer than 5,000 steps a day.
According to the study's findings, walking approximately 5,000 steps daily at a pace of about 90 steps per minute was associated with a 36% reduction in the risk of death from any cause. This percentage is close to the benefit achieved by people who walked around 7,500 steps daily, but at a slower pace.
The study found the greatest benefit in people who combined a higher number of steps with a faster walking speed. Their risk of death decreased by more than 40% when they walked between 7,500 and 10,000 steps daily at a pace of 90 to 100 steps per minute.
Researchers defined brisk walking as walking at a rate of at least 80 steps per minute. For comparison, the average walking speed for adults is about 100 steps per minute, which is generally considered a brisk pace.
The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, followed more than 70,000 adults aged 40 to 69 for approximately eight years. Participants wore activity trackers on their wrists that recorded their daily step count and walking speed.
The researchers analyzed the relationship between activity levels and the risk of death from any cause, as well as deaths related to heart disease. They also used a measure known as the "30-minute maximal step rate," which is the average step speed achieved by a person during their most active 30 minutes of the day.
The results showed that people who took fewer than 5,000 steps a day, but walked at a pace of about 80 steps per minute, were less likely to die from heart disease or any other cause compared to those who walked at a slower pace.
The researchers believe these findings may be particularly important for middle-aged and older adults who struggle to find enough time for physical activity. They explained that increasing walking speed could provide an effective and time-saving way to improve health, while those who cannot walk faster can increase their daily step count at a slower pace.⁵
The researchers noted that the results provide flexible options for improving health, whether by increasing the number of steps or increasing the pace of walking, especially for people whose circumstances prevent them from engaging in intensive physical activity.
Physical inactivity is a leading cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, while prolonged sitting is linked to a number of health risks. Experts recommend that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week.
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