Different daily step count and stepping pace combos may all lower risk of early death
Monash University
Taking fewer daily steps at a faster pace or more steps at a slower pace may substantially lower the risk of early death by up to 43 per cent, new research from Monash University and the University of Sydney has found.
Published today in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the research also found that walking at a brisker pace may be the sweet spot for those with sedentary lifestyles.
While evidence suggests a higher daily step count is key to preventing an early death, it was unclear until now what role stepping intensity might have or how different combinations of step counts and intensity might influence this risk, particularly among sedentary adults.
Lead author Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, Director of the Monash Brain Park at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health in the Monash School of Psychological Sciences, who led the research at the University of Sydney Charles Perkins Centre, said the findings may be particularly helpful for people who can’t accrue an adequate daily step count due to lack of time, disability or environmental restraints.
“We found that the risk was substantially lower among those achieving a higher stepping pace but fewer than 5000 daily steps,” Professor Stamatakis said.
“Similarly, the risk of early death was substantially reduced among those clocking up 5000 to 7500 daily steps but at a lower stepping pace.
“Our findings contribute to the evidence base for step-based approaches targeting daily step counts and stepping intensity to lower mortality risk, and may inform step-based interventions for middle-aged and older adults, particularly individuals with barriers to increasing daily step counts or stepping intensity.”
The research analysed data from 64,743 middle aged participants in the UK Biobank who wore an activity tracker for seven consecutive days between 2013 and 2015 to monitor the number and intensity of daily steps taken.
During an average tracking period of around eight years, 1697 of the participants died from any cause and 502 from cardiovascular disease.
Co-author Dr Nicholas Koemel, Senior Research Fellow at the Monash School of Psychological Sciences, said the research does not support the popular theory that everyone must take at least 10,000 steps a day to get fit.
“That heavily quoted step target actually came from a 1960s Japanese pedometer campaign rather than from evidence,” Dr Koemel said.
“For a 65-year-old managing a knee issue, a carer with fragmented time, or a shift worker, a high step target can be a reason to give up rather than a reason to start.
“The important message is that every step counts, and how you take those steps can also matter. Someone walking 4000 steps a day who walks them with more purpose is doing something worthwhile, and someone who cannot walk quickly can still benefit by gradually accumulating more steps at a slower pace.”
Co-author Associate Professor Matthew Ahmadi said anyone wanting to implement the findings in their own lives should focus on consistency.
“The body responds to habitual patterns, not to irregular and infrequent effort, so what counts is what you do on most days over months and years, not a motivated fortnight,” Associate Professor Ahmadi said.
“There is no single pace that suits everyone. A speed that feels very comfortable to a fit walker in their forties may be maximal intensity for a 70-year-old.
“The most practical test is also the simplest, which is to pay attention to your breathing: at a brisk pace that is maintained for at least a minute or so you should be breathing noticeably harder, feeling warmer, and still able to hold a conversation in short sentences, but you should not be able to sing comfortably.”
Read the research paper: http://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2025-111173
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