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Let’s start with a simple fact: physical activity is good for your health. The evidence is clear. People who are active in their daily lives lower their risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and many chronic diseases. Physical activity strengthens the bones, joints, and muscles.
“An active lifestyle can improve mental health and cognitive function,” says I-Min Lee, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an expert on the role of physical activity in preventing disease.
Among the many ways to stay physically active, walking is the most basic. Evidence supports the benefits of walking, but how should you get your steps – quick jaunts or longer treks? There are studies to support both.
One study published Oct. 28, 2025, in Annals of Internal Medicine compared shorter versus longer walking bouts. Researchers identified middle-aged and older adults who took 8,000 or fewer steps daily.
Participants wore fitness trackers that measured every step they took for up to seven consecutive days, whether it was a brisk walk or just moving between rooms at home. The devices also recorded how those steps were clustered – in durations (termed walking bouts) of less than five minutes, five to 10, 10 to 15, or more than 15 minutes at a time. Participants whose most frequent pattern fell into the longer bout groups were less likely to develop heart disease or to die in the next 10 years.
This study suggests that walking for longer periods at a time boosts health benefits. But the study shows an association, not cause and effect. Those in the longer walking bout groups also tended to be healthier, although investigators tried to account for this statistically.
“The findings are interesting, but science advances by looking at the whole picture,” says Lee, one of the study’s authors. “Each study adds a piece to the puzzle. You can’t draw conclusions from a single piece, so more studies are needed to confirm these findings.”
“When we look at the whole picture, especially evidence from recent studies that use wearable trackers, what’s clear is that any physical activity is better than none,” says Lee. If you can’t walk for long stretches, short walks are still good for you.
All movements that use your muscles count as physical activity. You don’t have to start by running, swimming laps, or walking briskly. “If you want to exercise, that’s great, but you can get the benefits of physical activity in your daily life,” says Lee. The walking you do while cleaning the house, climbing stairs, gardening, walking the dog, playing with children or pets, and running errands on foot counts as physical activity.
Lee notes that the more exercise you do, the better, up to a certain point, beyond which the benefits level off. She also notes that given the typical American diet, walking for weight loss would require more than what’s recommended for health benefits. “But we know that even when two people weigh the same, no matter what the weight is, the one who’s active is healthier,” she says.
Make increasing daily movement an automatic part of your routine. Park farther away from the store or office. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk with friends as a social activity. Turn errands into short walks.
Don’t worry about speed. While some studies suggest that brisk walking is best, studies of people over 60 often show that it’s the number of steps you take that matter, rather than how fast you take these steps. “The sweet spot is 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day,” says Lee. For adults under age 60, studies indicate the goal should be 8,000 to 10,000 steps.
To increase the amount of walking you do, start where you are and progress slowly. Consistency is more important than perfection. It’s better to start small, increase gradually, and maintain it than to set a difficult goal and give up.
If you haven’t been very active, start walking five minutes a day for a week. Once that feels easy, increase it to 10 minutes. As you build up beyond that, aim for about a 10% increase in duration each week. “If you can get up to walking 30 minutes a day on most days, that’s great,” says Lee. “Even if you don’t end up there, you’re still doing something, and that’s fantastic.”
Image: © Alistair Berg/Getty Images
Lynne Christensen, Staff Writer
I-Min Lee, MBBS, MPH, ScD, FACSM, Contributor
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
Beef tallow, seed oils, and full-fat dairy: Are any of them heart-healthy?
Cardiac amyloidosis: Better detection and new treatments
Lose more weight and protect your heart by pairing exercise with eating fewer calories
American Cancer Society expands testing recommendations for colorectal cancer screening
Heart risks from cannabis remain hazy but warrant caution
Harvard study links ultra-processed foods to higher rates of cognitive decline, dementia
A guide to the DASH diet
Calorie deficit explained: Is it a safe, sustainable approach to weight loss?
Prediabetes diet: How to help prevent progression to diabetes
COPD symptoms: How to spot them early
Healthy aging and longevity
Mental Health
Healthy aging and longevity
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