Walking Pace As Important As Step Count For Health

New research suggests that the pace at which individuals walk may be as significant as the total number of daily steps taken in reducing the risk of early death. Findings published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine indicate that different combinations of daily step counts and walking intensity can lead to similar health benefits. The study analyzed activity tracker data from over 64,000 middle-aged participants in the UK Biobank, who wore devices for seven days between 2013 and 2015. Researchers followed these individuals for approximately eight years, during which 1,697 died from any cause and 502 from cardiovascular disease. The analysis revealed that achieving a higher stepping pace, such as 80 steps per minute, while completing fewer than 5,000 daily steps could offer a mortality risk reduction comparable to taking 5,000 to 7,500 steps at a slower pace of 60 steps per minute. This suggests that higher intensity at lower volume can provide health benefits similar to lower intensity at higher volume.