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Are you walking the right way? Study reveals the best pace for your daily walks
You may be walking wrong, even if you hit 10,000 steps daily. The pace you set is just as important as how many steps you take.
Hitting the daily 10k is regarded as a bare minimum for fitness and good health to ensure you avoid a sedentary lifestyle. But are you doing your bare minimum right? A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine on October 28, 2025, revealed that how you take your steps matters just as much. And by this, it means the pace you set as you are walking is as important as the total number of steps you take. So, don't fret if you are unable to reach the designated 10k step count and instead focus on improving the pace.
ALSO READ: Just 15 minutes of brisk walking a day may cut death risk by 20%, study finds
What should be the ideal pace?
As per the research, you benefit from your daily walks more if you go for longer, continuous stretches, instead of shorter, interrupted bouts. The researchers examined the participants and found that those who walked for 15 minutes or more at a stretch had a much lower risk of heart disease and early death. Those who walked 15 minutes or more continuously without stopping had just 0.8 per cent deaths and 4.39 per cent chances of heart disease. This is in contrast to those whose continuous stretches of walking lasted only 5 minutes or less, 4.36 per cent of early deaths, while 13.03 per cent developed heart disease.
What does this mean?
This means the longer you walk, the healthier your heart becomes. And it's not just about hitting the 10,000 step mark; what really matters is how you choose to walk. Make sure your pace is continuous and not constantly interrupted by breaks or pauses. Even those who are relatively sedentary, walking fewer than 5,000 steps a day, can still gain heart health benefits if they walk for longer stretches at a time.
In other words, your daily walk shouldn't be a slow walk at a leisurely pace, like a stroll in the garden. To truly help your heart, aim for at least a steady 10-15 continuous pace without stopping at all.
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