Publish at December 11 2025 Updated December 11 2025
A cohort of 33,560 healthy adults aged 62 on average, whose physical activity ranged from almost sedentary (less than 3,000 steps per day) to a maximum of 8,000 steps per day, with an average around 5,000 steps, was mobilized for the purposes of this study published in Annals of Internal Medicine in October 2025.
The study took place over a two-year data collection period. For three to seven days, each of the 33,000 participants wore an accelerometer on their wrist to record their physical activity.
All participants had a sub-optimal level of physical activity, which was a selection criterion. They were divided into four groups, according to the duration of their physical activity periods:
And this regardless of the number of periods they performed. Sedentary participants took fewer than 5,000 steps a day, while less active participants took between 5,000 and 8,000 steps a day. All study participants took fewer than 8,000 steps a day.
Around 9 and a half years of follow-up after the measurement period, the researchers found that those who walked in periods of 15 minutes or more had the lowest risk of dying, while those who walked in periods of less than five minutes had the highest risk. Over the 9.5 years, 735 deaths and 3,119 cardiovascular events were recorded. While the average age of study participants was 62 at the outset, it was around 71 at the end.
These data enabled the researchers to find that those who accumulated most of their daily steps during longer sessions had a significantly lower risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) than those who accumulated most of their daily steps during shorter sessions.
Those who walked for longer periods also had a lower risk of heart disease, with this risk increasing as the duration of walking decreased. In short, for people who are not very active (sub-optimal activity), the longer the duration of physical activity, the better the results for the various health parameters analyzed.
In fact, the body adapts during exercise, but physiological changes take a little time: increased blood pressure, temperature, hormone secretion, etc. This could explain why people who walked for less than five minutes didn't see very significant improvements. It takes more than 5 minutes for body temperature to rise.
The researchers also found that the link between longer periods of walking and a lower risk of premature death and heart disease was more notable in sedentary participants.
Even moderate physical activity is always better than none at all. Particularly for highly sedentary people, increasing activity levels is one of the best recommendations to follow, especially if you manage to reach or exceed a 15-minute duration.
Illustration: Shuterstock 1175832427
References
Step Accumulation Patterns and Risk for Cardiovascular Events and Mortality Among Suboptimally Active Adults - Borja del Pozo Cruz, PhD, Matthew Ahmadi, PhD, Angelo Sabag, PhD, Pedro F. Saint Maurice, PhD et all. - Annals of Internal Medicine
https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-01547
When it comes to walking for health, longer is better, study suggests - Lindsey Leake
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/comes-walking-health-longer-better-study-suggests-rcna240095
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