A simple change to your daily walk could slash heart attack and stroke risk by two-thirds

Researchers from the University of Sydney and Universidad Europea have discovered that it's not about how many steps you take, but how you take them.

Even people who walk fewer than 8,000 steps daily can see massive heart health improvements just by changing their walking habits, according to scientists.

The key? Taking one or two longer walks instead of lots of short ones.

The study, published in the 'Annals of Internal Medicine', tracked over 33,000 adults aged 40 to 79 who typically walked under 8,000 steps daily.

Participants wore wristbands for a week to monitor their walking patterns, then researchers followed their health for eight years.

The results were striking. People who walked continuously for 10 to 15 minutes had just a four per cent chance of experiencing a cardiovascular event like a stroke or heart attack.

On the other hand, those who only managed five-minute walks faced a 13 per cent risk.

This amounted to a remarkable two-thirds lower risk for participants taking the longer strolls.

The benefits were even more dramatic for the least active participants. Among those taking 5,000 steps or fewer daily, heart disease risk dropped from 15 per cent to seven per cent when they switched to longer walks.

The death rate among the most inactive people was particularly revealing. Those taking 5,000 steps or fewer saw their risk of death fall from five per cent to under one per cent when they walked for longer periods.

Co-lead author Dr Matthew Ahmadi from the University of Sydney explained: "For the most inactive people, switching from brief walks here and there to longer continuous walks may come with some health benefits.

"There is a perception that health professionals have recommended walking 10,000 steps a day as the goal, but this isn't necessary.

"Simply adding one or two longer walks per day, each lasting at least 10-15 minutes at a comfortable but steady pace, may have significant benefits -- especially for people who don't walk much."

Senior author Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis noted that we often focus too much on step count while overlooking how we actually walk.

"This study shows that even people who are very physically inactive can maximise their heart health benefit by tweaking their walking patterns to walk for longer at a time, ideally for at least 10-15 minutes, when possible," he said.

Co-lead author Dr Borja del Pozo from Universidad Europea concluded: "Our research shows that simple changes can make all the difference to your health.

"If you walk a little, set aside some time to walk more often and in longer sessions. Such small changes can have a big impact."

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter