A 15-minute walk a day is good for the heart

New research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that walking continuously for at least 15 minutes is ideal. That's about 1,500 steps in a row and gives your heart a good workout.

Although many people aim to take 10,000 steps a day, this number is from a Japanese pedometer commercial and is not actually scientific data.

Still, experts agree that taking more steps is better for overall health.

The study looked at 33,560 adults aged 40 to 79 in England who walked fewer than 8,000 steps a day.

Their walks were measured with a pedometer for a week and grouped according to length:

- Less than 5 minutes (43%)

- 5 to 10 minutes (33.5%)

- 10 to 15 minutes (15.5%)

- 15 minutes or more (8%)

Researchers from the University of Sydney and the Universidad Europea in Spain tracked the participants' health over eight years.

People who walked longer distances were found to have a lower risk of heart disease than those who walked shorter distances.

Even among the least active (those walking fewer than 5,000 steps per day), longer walks made a big difference, significantly reducing their risk of heart disease and death.

It's not entirely clear from the study whether this was because they were fitter to begin with, but the researchers tried to control for this by accounting for factors such as whether the person smoked, was obese, or had high cholesterol.

Focus on how you walk, not just how far you walk.

Researchers say it's not how much you walk that matters, but how you walk.

Even if you don't walk much in general, walking for longer periods of time seems to be good for your heart.

They suggest that simple changes, such as making time for a longer walk, can make a big difference.

Lead researcher Prof. Emmanuel Stamatakis said:

We often put all the emphasis on the number of steps or the total amount of walking, but neglect the important role of patterns, such as how the walk is done.

This study suggests that even people who are physically inactive can maximize the benefits to their heart health by changing their walking patterns to longer periods, at least 10-15 minutes if possible.

Professor Kevin McConway, who works in applied statistics at the Open University, said the research showed a link between walking and better heart health, but did not prove that walking directly caused the improvement.

The NHS recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity, such as brisk walking, per week, ideally spread evenly throughout the week.

The advice states that adults over 65 should try to move every day, even if it's just light activities at home.

According to cardiac nurse Emily McGrath, from the British Heart Foundation, "Exercise helps everyone live a happier, healthier life. If you have heart or circulatory disease, exercise can help you manage your condition and feel better overall."

"You may find it difficult to be more active at first, but over time it will become easier as your body gets used to the activity. You may only notice small improvements at first, but all of this combined helps protect the health of your heart."

Precautions for safe walking

If you're walking or cycling at night or in low-light conditions, wear reflective clothing or use a flashlight or headlamp to increase your visibility.

Be alert and aware of your surroundings.

Whenever possible, use designated lanes or roads. Always cross at designated crossing points where traffic is more likely to see and wait for you.