Gym memberships and Pilates classes are a fine way to stay fit, but for those of us with no budget, little time, and even less inclination to join-in with organized exercise, science may have the answer—and it’s as simple as walking faster, according to a new study. The breakthrough work, published recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, wanted to build on the obvious fact that walking is good for our health by investigating how picking up the pace could boost our longevity while protecting our wallets. Is it better to walk slower for longer, or could a bit of fast fitness pay dividends? Science has the answer.
How Was the Study Carried Out?
With much of the published research on the benefits of walking being gathered from middle-to-high income white populations, Wie Zheng, MD, PhD, who was the study’s lead investigator from Vanderbilt University, wanted to find out if picking up our walking pace could be a smart answer for everyone—from underserved communities, through to those who are simply time poor. To figure this out, Dr Zheng’s team analyzed data from a Southern community cohort study involving almost 80,000 predominantly low-income and Black individuals from 12 southeastern states.
The participants had provided information to the experts such as how many minutes per day they generally spent doing slow walking tasks like moving around the house or making light exercise, as well as information on their time spent doing faster walking activities such as walking upstairs, brisk walking, or more vigorous exercise. The statisticians then cross references the cohorts and their level of walking activity against those who went on to develop ailments such as cardiovascular disease and those who later died from any cause.
What Were the Results?
While those who performed more than three hours per day slow walking experienced a small reduction in mortality rates, those who walked fast for as little as 15 minutes per day received a massive 20% reduction.
The protective effects of faster walking were particularly pronounced in cardio health outcomes, but why would this be? Heart efficiency was improved for those faster walkers, likely because a quicker walking pace is an aerobic exercise that supercharges cardio health by increasing oxygen delivery and providing a better pump. The faster walkers were also associated with better body composition, staving off obesity related scourges like hypertension.
“Our research has shown that fast walking as little as 15 minutes a day was associated with a nearly 20% reduction in total mortality,” explained Dr Zheng. “This benefit remained strong even after accounting for other lifestyle factors and was consistent across various sensitivity analyses.”
Interestingly, the study made no distinction between walking purely for exercise, leisure, or work, meaning that you can decide how your fast walking sessions are scheduled. If you live a sedentary office-based lifestyle, a 15-minute brisk walk during your lunch break could make all the difference. Or maybe you could take the stairs rather than the elevator if working or living in high rise buildings. Walking is one of the most accessible, low impact methods of staying fit, and it doesn’t cost a penny.
“Public health campaigns and community-based programs can emphasize the importance and availability of fast walking to improve health outcomes,” suggested Lili Liu, who also served as the study’s lead author. “Furthermore, the findings of the reduced mortality associated with fast walking pace were supported by previous studies conducted in middle- and upper-middle-income populations. Individuals should strive to incorporate more intense physical activity into their routines, such as brisk walking or other forms of aerobic exercise.”
The take home message, according to these experts? When it comes to getting your steps in, aim for quality over quantity and choose faster sessions with a quicker pace over longer sessions with a bigger step count. And this advice is fit for everyone, regardless of bank balance.
