Researchers reveal if one long walk or many short ones is healthier

Published 1 hour ago
Source: metro.co.uk
Many people like to take a stroll after work or after a heavy dinner. Sometimes, it’s a good way to shift the feeling of fullness after a large meal, and others it’s nice to enjoy the weather. But as guidance suggests that walking 10,000 steps a day is good for your health, the next question is – is it better to do one long walk rather than lots of shorter walks? And now a new study has revealed which one is better for you, so which is it? (Picture: Getty)
Researchers who conducted a large cohort study suggest it is better to take one long walk rather than to break up your walk into several shorter bursts, specifically when it comes to heart health and mortality risk. The researchers published their study in Annals of Internal Medicine, where they analysed the UK Biobank data, comparing the length of activity to all-cause mortality and cardiovascular problems. (Picture: Getty)
They wrote: ‘Although physical activity recommendations increasingly consider daily step counts, it remains unclear whether step accumulation patterns – short versus sustained longer bouts – affect associations with mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among suboptimally active populations.’ However, participants were only included if they took less than 8,000 steps on average each day and were free of both cardiovascular disease and cancer at the very start of the study. (Picture: Getty)
In total, the study involved 33,560 people with a mean age of 62 years, who were placed into  one of four camps depending on how long or how short bursts of activity tended to be, ranging from less than 5 minutes to more than 15 minutes. They were then split again, this time into a more sedentary group (fewer than 5,000 steps a day) and a less sedentary group (between 5,000 and 7,999 steps a day). Then the researchers tracked the participants to see their health over the duration of the study. (Picture: Getty)
Over the course of the study, there were 735 deaths and 3,119 cardiovascular events which were both positively correlated with lower bursts of activity, with participants reporting average bursts of less than five minutes facing the highest risk. They found a 4.36% risk of all-cause mortality and a 13.03% risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event over an almost 10-year period. (Picture: Getty)
However, the researchers found that those who walked in bursts lasting 15 minutes or longer displayed the lowest risk – a 0.8% risk of all-cause mortality and a 4.39% risk of a cardiovascular event over the same period. Busts that were more medium sized with bouts of activity lasting five to 10 minutes were associated with 1.83% risk of death and 11.09% risk of cardiovascular event. Meanwhile, bouts of activity between 10 and 15 minutes led to a 0.84% risk of death and 7.71% risk of cardiovascular event. (Picture: Getty)
It’s important to note that some participants’ shorter walking session could be linked to an underlying health problem not identified in the study or that those who walk for longer are more likely to engage in muscle-strengthening activities and other exercises beneficial for heart health.And measurements on walking duration were taken at the very start of the study in a ‘one-time’ event, so any changes in behavior between then and the follow-up may not be accounted for. However, researchers say the results highlight the importance of walking for longer bursts, particularly for those living a more sedentary lifestyle. (Picture: Getty)

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