A recent study conducted in the United States and Australia has found that walking or exercising continuously for 10 to 15 minutes a day offers greater health benefits than taking several shorter walks of around five minutes each, particularly in reducing the risk of heart disease and premature death.
The research, conducted by a team from the University of Sydney, Harvard University, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the US, monitored the health of approximately 33,000 adults in the UK who regularly walked around 8,000 steps per day.
Over nearly ten years of follow-up, the findings revealed striking differences. The risk of premature death was 0.8% among those who completed their daily steps in 10–15 minute sessions, compared to 4.4% for those who walked multiple times a day in bouts shorter than five minutes.
Moreover, the likelihood of developing heart disease or experiencing a stroke was 3.4% among those walking continuously for 15 minutes or more each day, compared to 13% for those walking in shorter intervals.
The study also noted that the link between longer walking sessions and reduced health risks was most pronounced among individuals leading sedentary lifestyles or those walking fewer than 5,000 steps a day.
Researchers concluded that longer, uninterrupted walks may provide even greater benefits for those who are less active, suggesting that starting with shorter daily distances and gradually increasing the duration of continuous walking could significantly improve cardiovascular health and longevity.
