Fewer daily steps taken at a faster pace, or more steps taken at a slower pace, may substantially lower the risk of early death, according to new research. A brisker pace maintained for at least 30 minutes a day seemed to be a sweet spot for people with sedentary lifestyles.

Current evidence suggests that a higher daily step count is key to preventing an early death, but it’s not clear what role stepping intensity might have or how different combinations of step counts and intensity might influence this risk, particularly among sedentary adults.

To investigate, the researchers analyzed data from 103,684 participants in the UK Biobank (average age 61; 58% women) who wore activity trackers for seven consecutive days between 2013 and 2015. Daily step counts were grouped into four categories:0–5000 steps; 5000–7500; 7500–10,000; and more than 10,000. Peak-30 cadence also was measured, reflecting each person’s fastest sustained stepping rate during their most active half hour of the day.

A total of 70,075 participants (average age 62; 63% women) were included in the deaths from cardiovascular disease analysis.

Different combinations of step count and pace were linked to a lower risk of death. A stepping pace of at least 80 steps per minute combined with fewer than 5,000 daily steps produced a risk reduction comparable to taking 5,000 to 7,500 daily steps at a slower pace of 60 steps per minute.

Maintaining a higher pace for at least 30 minutes a day was linked to a progressively lower mortality risk among people taking fewer than 7,500 steps per day, while 7,500 to 10,000 daily steps was linked to the lowest overall risk regardless of pace. Similar patterns held for cardiovascular disease mortality.

The findings suggest “that higher intensity at lower volume can provide health benefits comparable to that of lower intensity but higher volume,” wrote the researchers

To download the full study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, click here:

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2025-111173