Study Links 15-Minute Walks to 0.8% Death Risk in 33,560 Adults
Updated
Updated · HuffPost UK · Jul 26
Study Links 15-Minute Walks to 0.8% Death Risk in 33,560 Adults
2 articles · Updated · HuffPost UK · Jul 26
Summary
A 2025 study of 33,560 UK adults found people who accumulated steps in 15-minute-or-longer walking bouts had the lowest risks of early death and cardiovascular disease over 7.9 years.
Mortality risk fell as walking bouts lengthened: 4.36% for walks under five minutes, 1.83% for five to 10 minutes, 0.84% for 10 to 15 minutes, and 0.8% for 15 minutes or more.
Heart-disease risk showed the same pattern, dropping from 13.03% among the shortest-bout walkers to 4.39% among those regularly walking at least 15 minutes at a time.
The participants averaged 8,000 steps a day or fewer—median 5,165—and the findings suggest longer continuous walks may matter even for adults not meeting exercise targets.
The report still points to World Health Organization guidance of 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week as the main benchmark.