A 10-Minute Walk May Have Major Benefits

It’s no secret that regular physical activity is linked with a lower risk of heart disease. Whether you enjoy resistance training or cardio exercise, they all have benefits for the heart. But when it comes to just how much exercise is necessary to reap heart health benefits, it can get a bit confusing. 

For example, we previously reported on a study that suggests that walking just five minutes a day might reduce heart disease risk. And another one that suggests that 11 minutes a day is what it takes to reduce your risk of heart disease. And yet, physical activity guidelines state we should be getting at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity each week.

So, how much physical activity do we really need to help lower our risk of heart disease? A team of researchers from Spain and Australia wanted to know, too. They considered data from over 33,500 UK Biobank participants and published their findings in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Let’s break down their findings.

How Was This Study Conducted?

Researchers drew data from the UK Biobank, a long-running study that gathers information on participants’ demographics, health habits, medical diagnoses and blood biomarkers. For this study, they pulled this information for over 33,500 participants who joined the study during the years 2013 to 2015, averaged 8,000 or fewer steps per day and were free of heart disease and cancer at baseline. The average age of participants was 62, and they were followed for an average of eight years.

Based on baseline data, researchers grouped participants according to their length of physical activity bouts, basing this on the bout in which they accumulated most of their steps: less than five minutes, five minutes to under 10 minutes, 10 minutes to less than 15 minutes and 15 minutes or longer. Participants were also grouped according to the number of steps they took per day. Sedentary participants had fewer than 5,000 steps per day, and low-active participants had 5,000 to 7,999 steps per day.

During the follow-up period, researchers analyzed all-cause mortality (dying from anything) and any heart-related health updates, including being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and having a heart attack or stroke.

What Did This Study Find?

Keep in mind that all the individuals in this study averaged less than 8,000 steps per day and were considered either sedentary or low-active. Despite this, researchers found that, compared to those who spread their walking out in short, quick bouts of less than 5 minutes, those who concentrated their walking into at least 15-minute bouts significantly lowered their risk of death and cardiovascular events, including lowering their risk of heart disease by nearly two-thirds. This applied even for those whose total steps were about equal. 

And even those whose walks ranged in the 10- to 15-minute range saw significant benefits for their heart health and all-cause mortality. Compared to those who often walked for five to 10 minutes at a time, those in the 10 to 15-minute range cut their mortality risk in half, and their heart disease risk was about 26% lower.

Because this study was observational, there is room for error regarding self-reporting and potential confounding factors. In addition, physical activity measurements were taken only at baseline and might not be an accurate reflection of participants’ activity over time.

How Does This Apply to Real Life?

One reason so many studies are performed on the same or similar topics is that the more evidence that stacks up in favor of one hypothesis, the more likely it is to be true. What we’ve seen with studies on exercise and heart disease is that all physical activity counts, and it all seems to have some benefit. With that said, the research also leans toward more is better, at least up to a point—because there is such a thing as too much exercise. Overexercising may result in injury, frequent illness, chronic pain and sleep or menstrual issues.

If you’re currently not getting enough exercise, don’t worry about the guidelines at first. Just start where you’re at and gradually increase the duration and intensity. Choose activities you enjoy and will stick with. 

Ideally, a well-rounded exercise program includes cardio, strength training and stretching. And while it sounds like a lot, it doesn’t have to take long. As this study suggests, lace up your shoes and go for a 10-or 15-minute walk. And if you only have five minutes for strength training, do a few reps of a full-body exercise, like thrusters. And we know you can fit in some stretching at your desk or in the evening while watching TV—though your body may also appreciate it if you do some stretching before your walk or your strength training.

Our Expert Take

This study suggests that regularly going for walks for at least 10 or 15 minutes at a time appears to reduce all-cause mortality and heart disease risk more than breaking your walking up into shorter spurts of less than five minutes. If you’re currently sedentary, make it a habit to move intentionally for at least 10 minutes at a time and increase it from there. 

Keep in mind that other lifestyle habits contribute to heart health, too, including managing your stressors, getting enough quality sleep and eating a varied diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, lean proteins and healthy fats. The Mediterranean diet encompasses all of these types of foods and is a great place to start. If you’d like some guidance, check out our 5-Day Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan for Beginners to get started.