Walking and longevity: what WHO and the studies say

Longevity, as this page uses the word

Longevity here is a well-being idea: keeping an active, independent life over the years. The sources read describe activity guidelines and associations observed in large groups of people. None shows that a walking habit, on its own, sets how long a person lives.

What WHO recommends

In its fact sheet of June 26, 2024, WHO lists walking among the most common ways to be active, alongside cycling, sports and play. Its guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior set at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week for adults. They stress four messages: any amount of physical activity is better than none, all physical activity counts, everyone should limit time spent sitting, and muscle strengthening benefits everyone.

WHO also states that people who are insufficiently active have a 20% to 30% higher risk of death than people who are sufficiently active, and that physical activity can improve overall well-being. In 2022, 31% of adults worldwide, 1.8 billion people, did not meet the 150-minute level; women were on average less active than men, and inactivity rose after age 60.

What counts as a brisk walk?

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, second edition, give brisk walking as an example of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and set 150 to 300 minutes of it a week for adults, plus muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days. The UK's NHS puts a brisk walk at about 3 miles an hour: you can still talk, but you cannot sing the words to a song.

How many steps a day?

The meta-analysis by Paluch and colleagues (Lancet Public Health, 2022) pooled 15 studies covering 47,471 adults followed for a median of 7.1 years. The risk of death from any cause fell progressively with more steps a day, up to a plateau of about 6,000 to 8,000 steps in adults aged 60 and over, and about 8,000 to 10,000 steps in younger adults.

For the same number of steps, time spent walking at 100 steps a minute or faster was not significantly associated with the risk of death: in these data, the total number of steps mattered more than pace. The 10,000 figure therefore does not appear as a threshold.

A closer look at the step-count study

The 2022 meta-analysis pooled 15 studies whose start dates ranged from 1999 to 2018; seven had been published and eight were unpublished, and the investigators processed their participant-level data in a standardized way. Among the 47,471 adults there were 3,013 deaths over a median follow-up of 7.1 years.²

The ranges around the estimates are worth knowing: the hazard ratio of 0.60 for the second quarter had a 95% confidence interval of 0.51 to 0.71, the 0.55 for the third quarter 0.49 to 0.62, and the 0.47 for the fourth quarter 0.39 to 0.57.² The steepest drop comes between the lowest and the second quarter, and the curve flattens at higher counts, which is why the authors report a plateau rather than a threshold.

And after 65?

The NHS advises adults aged 65 and over to be active every day, even if only lightly, to do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days a week, to aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, and to break up long periods of sitting. It counts slow walking as light activity and walking for health as moderate activity.

From minutes to a weekly plan

Guidelines use minutes, while many people count steps, so a short conversion helps. The 150 minutes a week that WHO recommends equal 30 minutes on five days, or 10 minutes three times a day on five days.¹ The NHS counts a brisk 10-minute daily walk toward the 150 minutes.³ The table is an illustration, not a prescription.

The arithmetic leaves room for flexibility, which is consistent with the first message of the guidelines: any amount of physical activity is better than none.¹

Making walking a habit

According to the NHS, the easiest way to walk more is to make walking a habit by building it into your daily routine. Its examples:

• walking part of your journey to work;
• running errands on foot;
• using the stairs instead of the elevator;
• leaving the car behind for short journeys;
• walking regularly with a friend, or with family after dinner;
• joining a walking group.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans point the same way: their first message to adults is to move more and sit less, and they no longer require activity to come in bouts of at least 10 minutes to count.

Walking with others

A walk can also be a social occasion. The NHS suggests walking regularly with a friend or with family, or joining a walking group, as ways of making walking a habit.³ Research on social connection and aging describes associations between social relationships and later outcomes, and the research on how long it takes to form a habit explains why a fixed cue, such as walking after a meal, helps the habit stick. For national statistics on staying active, see healthy life expectancy, and for the evidence on long-lived regions, read Blue Zones. The group is collected in healthy aging research.

What these sources cannot tell you

• Step studies observe people: someone who walks a lot is often fitter to begin with, which can inflate the association.
• They set no step target for any given person.
• WHO and NHS guidelines apply to the general population, not to a particular situation.
• No source read shows that a walking habit is enough, on its own, to change how long a person lives.

When to ask for advice

The NHS advises speaking to a doctor first if you have not exercised for some time or have a medical condition or concern. This page summarizes public guidance and does not replace medical advice.

Frequently asked questions