October 29, 2025 : 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.
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.
Summary:
A new study suggests that walking at a moderate to brisk pace offers the greatest health benefits, improving heart health, metabolism, and longevity compared to slow or irregular walking speeds.