Walking is an incredible, accessible form of exercise that offers a wide range of health benefits. From improving heart health and blood pressure to boosting your mood and overall fitness, it's a simple yet powerful tool for a healthier life. But here's where it gets controversial: the widely-held goal of walking 10,000 steps a day may not be as scientifically sound as we thought. Recent research suggests this number has no solid scientific backing, but it does encourage us to spend around 90 minutes on our feet each day, which is still beneficial for most people.
The common argument against this goal is time. Finding 90 minutes to walk in a busy day can seem like an impossible task, especially when broken down into smaller chunks. This is where Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, a physical activity and population health expert, steps in with an alternative approach based on his recent research.
Professor Stamatakis' plan is designed for those who struggle to find time for exercise and aims to maximize the benefits of walking. It's a time-efficient strategy that uses the latest scientific insights to improve your health and increase your daily movement.
The plan is simple: each day, aim for one or two comfortable but steady-paced walks lasting 10-15 minutes or more. During these walks, include 2-4 bursts of fast-paced walking for 30-60 seconds each. These bursts can also involve climbing stairs or walking uphill to increase intensity.
The beauty of this plan is that it's tailored for those who currently do very little exercise. Professor Stamatakis' research focuses on this population, as the transition from zero exercise to some exercise yields the greatest health benefits. His study found that for those taking 8,000 steps or fewer per day, longer walks of 10 minutes or more reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by two-thirds compared to those taking shorter walks.
"The key takeaway is empowering: there are alternatives to dramatically increasing your physical activity to improve health," Professor Stamatakis says. "Our study suggests even short, comfortable walks can significantly reduce cardiovascular risk. For many less active adults, this is a more achievable goal than trying to walk thousands of extra steps or starting structured exercise.
And this is the part most people miss: short walks are still beneficial, but shifting some of your daily movement into slightly longer stretches can produce measurable health gains. A brisk walk to the shops or around the block can be a great start. It's about adjusting your patterns, not striving for perfection."
Professor Stamatakis' team also discovered the benefits of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA). VILPA involves activities like climbing stairs, carrying heavy shopping, or even vigorous housework, which leave you out of breath and unable to speak in full sentences. Their research found that non-exercisers who did 5-10 episodes of VILPA daily, lasting up to a minute each, had a 30-50% lower risk of cardiovascular conditions, cancer, and mortality.
So, Professor Stamatakis' daily plan for those who don't do many steps might include one or two longer walks at a comfortable but steady pace, each with 3-4 short VILPA bursts of very fast walking for 30-60 seconds. This could accumulate 15-30 minutes of walking per day in the most beneficial pattern, including 3-8 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, which is known to work wonders for heart health.
To see long-term benefits, consistency is key. This practice should be followed on 3-4 days per week initially and built up to a daily habit over time.
While this plan is designed for non-exercisers, it's important to note that introducing formal exercise is usually the most direct route to improved health and fitness. The end goal should still be to increase your overall activity levels in line with WHO and NHS guidelines for adults aged 19-64.
Professor Stamatakis' research aims to expand the options for the 80-85% of the population, usually middle-aged and older adults, who are not keen on regular structured exercise. As his colleague Dr. Matthew Ahmadi says, "It's not about an optimal fitness solution. Structured exercise is the way to go for full fitness, but it comes with major commitments. Our research is for those who don't have the time, motivation, skills, or resources for structured exercise, and we want to help them because they are at the highest risk of chronic disease."
So, if you're struggling to fit exercise into your routine, consider giving Professor Stamatakis' walking plan a try. It's a simple, effective way to take a step towards better health.
