Fast walking may lengthen your life
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
Fast walking for at least 15 minutes a day can substantially lower the risk of dying early, according to an analysis published in the October 2025 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Researchers evaluated data from nearly 85,000 adults ages 40 to 79 (average age 51, 65% women) who took part in the Southern Community Cohort Study, which was designed to look into racial disparities in chronic diseases in underserved populations across 12 southeastern states. Participants completed a questionnaire at the study’s start that detailed their exercise habits, time spent on physical activity, walking speed, and overall health. Researchers tracked deaths among participants for the next 17 years.
Over the study period, nearly 27,000 participants died. But people who reported walking fast (defined as walking briskly or climbing stairs) for as little as 15 minutes a day were nearly 20% less likely to have died than those who spent less time walking fast. Meanwhile, participants who spent more than three hours each day walking slowly were only 4% less likely to have died.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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