Study: Walking Pace May Be as Effective as Step Count in Lowering Mortality Risk

By cocosomers // 2026-09-14

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A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has reported that increasing walking pace may lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk as effectively as increasing daily step count, according to the researchers. The study analyzed data from 103,684 participants in the UK Biobank who were ages 40 to 69 at enrollment. Participants wore activity trackers for seven consecutive days between 2013 and 2015, and researchers followed mortality outcomes until November 2022, according to the study. Researchers reported that participants who took fewer than 5,000 steps per day at a rapid pace, defined as more than 80 steps per minute, had a mortality risk similar to those who took 10,000 steps per day at a slower pace. The findings suggest that walking intensity, not just total step volume, is associated with mortality outcomes, the study stated.

Study Design and Background

Higher daily step counts have been linked to lower premature death risk in prior research, but the widely circulated 10,000-step recommendation is considered arbitrary by many experts, according to a report by Medical News Today. The study aimed to assess whether stepping intensity, measured independently of total volume, was associated with mortality outcomes. The researchers assessed step intensity using peak 30-minute cadence, defined as the average steps per minute recorded for the 30 highest non-consecutive minutes in a day, averaged over the monitoring period. This metric captures the pace of a person's most active walking bouts rather than their overall daily movement, according to the study. Researchers excluded participants with missing data, a history of cardiovascular disease or cancer at baseline, or who died in accidents during follow-up. After exclusions, 64,743 participants were analyzed for all-cause mortality, of whom 1,697 died during follow-up, and 70,075 were analyzed for cardiovascular mortality, with 502 deaths recorded, according to the study. The mean follow-up period was approximately 8 years. The study was observational and does not establish causation, the authors stated. Emmanuel Stamatakis, corresponding author and professor of physical activity, lifestyle and population health at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, said the findings should be read as an association rather than proof that changing stepping intensity lowers mortality.

Key Findings on Pace and Step Count

Participants who achieved between 7,500 and 10,000 steps per day had the lowest all-cause mortality risk in the sample, according to the study. This range aligns roughly with current step-based recommendations, the researchers noted. However, participants who took fewer than 5,000 steps per day but at a pace exceeding 80 steps per minute had a lower risk of early death than those who took 5,000 to 7,500 steps per day at a slower pace of approximately 60 steps per minute. This finding suggests that stepping intensity may partially compensate for lower total step volume, according to the researchers. Stamatakis said the results indicate that both factors matter. "Both step counts and stepping intensity matter, and the combination that works is the one a person can sustain," he said. He added that accumulating 7,500 to 10,000 steps per day was associated with the lowest all-cause mortality risk in the sample, but for adults well below that threshold, walking some of their existing steps briskly was associated with a risk level similar to that of people taking considerably more steps at a more leisurely pace. "The wider message coming from this study is behavioral flexibility. Step targets need not look identical for everyone, and people who cannot walk far, or cannot walk quickly, still have a route to lower risk," Stamatakis said. He cautioned that the observational nature of the study means the findings should not be interpreted as causal.

Expert Perspectives on Intensity

Kevin Shah, a board-certified cardiologist and program director of heart failure outreach at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, California, who was not involved in the study, said greater intensity of exercise may lower mortality risk through several physiological pathways. "More movement or, in the case of this study, more intense movement, can help improve blood pressure, support healthy weight, boost insulin sensitivity, and lower overall cardiometabolic risk," Shah said. Shah advised that short bursts of activity done regularly can contribute to health improvements. "You don't have to carve out a full hour at the gym to make exercise count. Small bursts of activity throughout the day can add up. A quick morning bike ride, a walk after dinner, taking the stairs, or even short movement breaks between meetings all contribute," he said. "Consistency matters more than doing everything perfectly." Stamatakis said the findings were in line with previous studies emphasizing the role of intensity in daily activities. He said the association was steepest among the least active adults, those accumulating fewer than 5,000 steps per day. "The body responds to habitual patterns rather than to occasional effort, so near-daily consistency over months and years matters more than any single walk," he told Medical News Today. Stamatakis cautioned that anyone with cardiovascular risk factors should speak with their doctor before increasing intensity. He also noted that most middle-aged and older adults face barriers either to walking far or to walking fast, and that either route appears viable based on the study's findings.

Related Research on Walking and Mortality

The findings add to a body of research examining the relationship between walking intensity, step volume and health outcomes. A separate study published in JAMA Cardiology found that women who walked fewer than 2,000 steps per day had a higher risk of heart failure compared to those who walked more, according to NaturalNews.com ^[1]. Another analysis reported that walking just 3,600 steps daily was associated with a 26 percent lower heart failure risk, and that 30 minutes of fast walking reduced heart risks by 30 percent ^[2]. Research has also indicated that walking pace may predict lifespan better than traditional markers such as blood pressure. According to NaturalNews.com, a large-scale study from the United Kingdom suggested that walking speed may offer a more immediate and accurate glimpse into longevity than blood pressure, cholesterol or weight ^[3]. Additionally, a study involving frail older adults found that increasing walking pace by as little as 14 steps per minute significantly improved physical endurance and function after 12 weeks, with faster walkers showing a 65 percent improvement compared to a 39 percent increase for leisurely walkers ^[4]. Other research has examined the benefits of brisk walking in shorter, less frequent sessions. A study cited by NaturalNews.com found that people who took 8,000 steps one or two days a week were less likely to die over a 10-year follow-up period compared to those who were inactive ^[5]. Separately, a meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that a daily step count of approximately 8,500 was linked to sustained weight loss over time ^[6].

Limitations and Conclusion

The study is observational, meaning the findings should be read as an association rather than proof that changing stepping intensity lowers mortality, Stamatakis said. The authors noted several limitations, including the use of the UK Biobank sample, which may not be representative of the broader population, exclusions for missing data and disease history, and a mean follow-up of 8 years. Despite these limitations, the researchers concluded that walking pace and step count both matter and that people who cannot walk far or fast may still have a route to lower mortality risk. "Most middle-aged and older adults face barriers either to walking far or to walking fast, and either route appears viable," Stamatakis said. Shah added that the biggest health gains often come from going from no activity to some activity. "Even a few minutes of movement a day can start to improve your overall health and longevity. Focus on taking that first step then build from there. Over time, those small efforts can lead to meaningful, lasting change," he said.

References

NaturalNews.com. "Study Walking 2000 steps a day can decrease older womens risk of heart failure". April 09, 2024.
Ava Grace. "Rethinking the 10000 step rule How fewer steps done right can save your heart". NaturalNews.com. August 18, 2025.
NaturalNews.com. "Walking speed may predict lifespan better than blood pressure, study finds". April 02, 2026.
NaturalNews.com. "The simple walking tweak that could add years to your life". April 28, 2026.
NaturalNews.com. "Walking 8000 brisk steps once or twice a week found to boost heart health". April 12, 2023.
Petra Stone. "Daily Step Count of 8500 Linked to Long Term Weight Maintenance Meta Analysis Finds". NaturalNews.com. May 13, 2026.

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