Your Heart Needs 15 Minutes
By Editorial Staff
Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the United States, claiming about one in every five lives each year. With millions of adults carrying major risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, simple daily habits – especially movement – remain some of the most powerful tools for prevention.
Walking has long been promoted as an easy way to stay active, but research published in the
Annals of Internal Medicine highlights an important twist:
How you walk may matter just as much as how far you go.
Here's what we mean: Researchers tracked more than 33,000 adults who took fewer than 8,000 steps a day. For one week, participants wore devices that recorded both their step counts and their walking patterns. Some accumulated steps in very short spurts of under five minutes at a time, while others walked in longer stretches lasting 5-10 minutes, 10-15 minutes or more than 15 minutes.
After nearly eight years of follow-up, a clear pattern emerged. Adults who accumulated most of their steps in longer, continuous walks had substantially lower rates of heart disease and early death. Those whose activity came mostly from quick, scattered bursts actually had the highest risks. The protective effect was especially strong among the least active participants in terms of step count – those taking fewer than roughly 5,000 steps per day.
Why might longer bouts matter? Short bursts – walking from room to room, taking out the trash, pacing between tasks – rarely raise and sustain heart rate long enough to meaningfully condition the cardiovascular system. A steady 10- to 15-minute walk, however, boosts circulation, supports blood pressure and blood sugar control, and strengthens the heart over time.
The good news: Improving your walking pattern doesn't require 10,000 steps or a gym membership. Try incorporating multiple 10-15-minute walks into your day. A post-lunch stroll, a loop around the neighborhood after work, or an evening walk with a friend all count. Step trackers can help you understand whether your activity comes in sustained bouts or fragmented spurts.
If you're currently very inactive, start with even 5-8 minutes at a time and build gradually. And of course, if you have heart disease or other major medical concerns, check with your doctor before making significant changes.
The takeaway is simple and encouraging: Walk more continuously, not just more often. A single dedicated 15-minute walk may do more for your heart than thousands of steps squeezed into quick bursts – and it's one of the most doable heart-protective habits you can adopt.
