Fast walking for just 15 minutes a day could significantly reduce the risk of early death – especially for low-income and Black individuals – according to a major new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Drawing on data from nearly 80,000 participants, researchers found that brisk walking was linked to a 20 per cent reduction in all-cause mortality.
The effect was particularly strong for cardiovascular-related deaths and was independent of other forms of physical activity, highlighting the unique benefit of a brisk pace.
“While the health benefits of daily walking are well-established, limited research has investigated the effects of factors such as walking pace on mortality, particularly in low-income and Black/African-American populations,” said lead investigator Dr Wei Zheng of Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
“Our research has shown that fast walking as little as 15 minutes a day was associated with a nearly 20 per cent reduction in total mortality.”
By contrast, slow walking for over three hours a day was only linked to a modest 4 per cent reduction, suggesting intensity matters more than duration.
Participants – mostly low-income and Black individuals across 12 southeastern US states – self-reported their average daily minutes of “slow” and “fast” walking. Their health outcomes were then tracked over a median follow-up period of 16.7 years.
The benefits of fast walking persisted even after adjusting for other lifestyle factors, including diet, smoking and alcohol use.
Fast walking offers several cardiovascular benefits, including improved heart efficiency and reduced risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Crucially, the researchers pointed out, it’s a low-cost, low-impact activity accessible to people of all fitness levels, making it a valuable intervention in communities with limited access to healthcare or recreational facilities.
To help spread the word, lead author Dr Lili Liu said public health campaigns and community programmes should “emphasise the importance and availability of fast walking to improve health outcomes,” and offer the resources and support needed to make it easier for people to walk more – and walk faster.
“Individuals should strive to incorporate more intense physical activity into their routines,” he added, “such as brisk walking or other forms of aerobic exercise.”
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