Walking 15 minutes faster each day reduces the risk of death by about 20%. Even if you walk for a long time, if the pace is slow, the effect on mortality reduction drops to one-fifth. This means that even brief moments of walking quickly are more beneficial for health than walking slowly for a long time.
A research team led by Wei Zheng, a professor at Vanderbilt University in the United States, reported the results in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on the 29th (local time) after tracking the walking speed, time, and death risk of 79,856 participants for an average of 16.7 years.
The research team utilized community cohort study data from 12 states in the southern United States. Fast walking and exercise were categorized as brisk walking, while daily activities and walking dogs were classified as slow walking. They also examined walking time in more detail.
The analysis showed that walking quickly for 15 minutes a day reduced mortality by 20%. Even walking for more than three hours at a slow pace resulted in only a 4% reduction in mortality. The research team noted that walking quickly improves heart function and reduces risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.
In the southern region of the United States that the research team studied, many low-income individuals cannot afford separate health care. The team explained that brief episodes of walking quickly are an easily accessible form of exercise that can be done anywhere at any time for these individuals.
Professor Zheng said, "Walking quickly is an exercise that anyone can easily do, regardless of age or physical fitness level," adding that it can be encouraged as a strategy to address health disparities in populations with lower socioeconomic status.
References
AJPM (2025), DOI : 10.1016/j.amepre.2025.107738