By Muhammad Shabbir
Publication Date: September 13, 2026
If you have ever felt that reaching 10,000 steps every day was unrealistic, new research offers a more flexible way to think about walking.
A large observational study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine examined both how many steps people took and how quickly they walked. The researchers found that several combinations of step count and walking intensity were associated with a lower risk of death during follow-up.
The important point, however, is not that you should abandon your step goal and simply walk faster.
Rather, the findings suggest that both the amount and intensity of movement may matter, and that people who cannot accumulate a very high number of daily steps may still benefit from making some of their walking more purposeful. (Jove Visualize)
What did the new walking study find?
Researchers analyzed activity-tracker data from participants in the UK Biobank.
The study ultimately included:
64,743 participants in the analysis of all-cause mortality
1,697 deaths from any cause during follow-up
70,075 participants in the cardiovascular-mortality analysis
502 cardiovascular deaths
About 8 years of follow-up
Participants had worn wrist-based activity trackers for seven consecutive days between 2013 and 2015. The researchers then examined whether combinations of daily step counts and stepping intensity were associated with mortality through the follow-up period. (Monash University)
This was a prospective observational cohort study, not a randomized clinical trial. That distinction is important because the study can identify associations but cannot establish that walking faster directly caused people to live longer. (Life Science Network)
Is 10,000 steps really necessary?
The findings add to evidence that there is nothing biologically magical about reaching exactly 10,000 steps.
Participants accumulating 7,500–10,000 steps per day had the lowest observed all-cause mortality risk in this study, while higher stepping intensity was also associated with lower mortality risk in several lower-step groups. (Life Science Network)
That does not mean 10,000 steps is useless.
It means that a person shouldn't interpret 10,000 as a strict pass-or-fail threshold for being physically active.
Someone who consistently manages 4,000 or 5,000 steps may still have a meaningful opportunity to improve their activity by increasing the intensity of some of those walks.
And someone who cannot comfortably walk quickly may still benefit from gradually accumulating more steps at a comfortable pace.
What does “walking faster” mean?
The researchers did not simply ask participants whether they considered themselves fast walkers.
They used a measure called peak 30-minute cadence, which represents the average number of steps per minute during a person's highest-stepping 30 minutes of the day. Those 30 minutes did not necessarily have to occur consecutively. (Jove Visualize)
That is different from saying that everyone should walk at a specific number of steps per minute.
In everyday life, intensity is often easier to judge by how your body feels.
The researchers described brisk walking as activity that makes you breathe noticeably harder and feel warmer while still allowing you to speak in short sentences, but not comfortably sing. (Monash University)
The CDC similarly classifies brisk walking as a moderate-intensity aerobic activity. At moderate intensity, breathing and heart rate increase, but you can generally talk without being able to sing comfortably. (CDC)
What happens if you take fewer than 5,000 steps?
This is one of the more interesting aspects of the study.
Among people taking fewer than 5,000 steps per day, higher stepping intensity was associated with lower all-cause mortality risk.
For example, the researchers reported that at a peak 30-minute cadence of about 80 steps per minute, the hazard ratio for all-cause mortality in the under-5,000-step group was 0.72 (95% CI 0.54–0.97) compared with the study's reference category. (Life Science Network)
That number should not be interpreted as saying that walking at 80 steps per minute guarantees a particular reduction in an individual's risk.
It is a statistical association observed in this particular population after adjustment for several factors.
The distinction matters because observational studies can be affected by factors that researchers cannot completely eliminate.
What about people taking 5,000 to 7,500 steps?
The study also found favorable associations among people in the 5,000–7,500 steps-per-day range.
At lower stepping intensities, this group still showed a lower mortality risk compared with the reference group. (Life Science Network)
This supports a useful practical message:
You do not necessarily have to choose between “walk very little” and “reach 10,000 steps.”
There are multiple ways to become more active.
You might increase the number of steps you take.
You might make some existing walks more purposeful.
Or you might gradually do both.
Does walking faster replace walking more?
Not necessarily.
This is where the study can easily be misunderstood.
The researchers did not conclude that a short brisk walk is universally equivalent to achieving a particular step count.
In fact, the 7,500–10,000-step group had the lowest observed all-cause mortality risk in the analysis. Higher stepping intensity was associated with lower risk within several step-count categories, but the researchers emphasized flexibility rather than a single optimal prescription. (Life Science Network)
So the better takeaway is:
If increasing your total steps is difficult, adding some higher-intensity walking may be another practical way to increase your physical activity.
That is very different from saying:
“Walking 4,000 fast steps is better than walking 10,000 steps.”
The study does not establish that conclusion.
What this means for someone who sits most of the day
For a sedentary person, the most useful message may be surprisingly simple: start moving consistently.
Current CDC guidance recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, such as brisk walking, along with muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days each week. The activity can be divided into smaller periods rather than completed in one long session. (CDC)
So you don't necessarily need to redesign your entire day.
For example, you could build movement into existing routines:
Take a brisk walk after lunch.
Walk for part of your commute.
Take the stairs when practical.
Walk after dinner.
Take short movement breaks during long periods of sitting.
Gradually increase either walking time, pace, or total daily steps.
The best approach is one you can repeat regularly.
Consistency may matter more than a perfect step target
The study's researchers emphasized habitual activity rather than occasional bursts of motivation.
That is an important distinction.
Walking 10,000 steps once or twice a week does not necessarily create the same lifestyle pattern as regularly being active throughout the week.
Likewise, someone who cannot reach a high step count should not assume that doing less means doing nothing.
The CDC's current guidance makes a similar point: some physical activity is better than none, and activity can be accumulated in smaller portions throughout the week. (CDC)
What the study cannot tell us
This is perhaps the most important part of the research.
The study was observational. Researchers observed participants' activity patterns and subsequent mortality rather than randomly assigning people to different walking programs. (Life Science Network)
Therefore, the findings cannot prove that increasing walking pace will directly prevent death.
There could be other differences between people who walk faster and those who walk more slowly. Health status, functional ability, lifestyle, environment and other factors may influence both walking behavior and mortality risk.
The activity tracker also captured behavior during a seven-day measurement period, while participants were followed for years. A person's activity pattern can change over time.
For these reasons, the results are best understood as evidence of an association rather than a prescription for a particular cadence.
A practical way to use the findings
If you currently take very few steps, don't make the goal so ambitious that you abandon it.
Instead, consider a gradual progression.
Step 1: Move more often.
Add walking to parts of your normal day.
Step 2: Build consistency.
Aim for a pattern you can maintain across most days.
Step 3: Add some purposeful walking.
If you can safely tolerate moderate-intensity activity, make portions of your walking brisk enough to noticeably increase your breathing.
Step 4: Gradually increase your total activity.
As walking becomes easier, you can increase duration, frequency or daily steps.
Step 5: Keep your abilities in mind.
Your appropriate pace depends on age, fitness, mobility, health conditions and medications.
The goal is not to compete with someone else's step count.
The goal is to make your own activity pattern more sustainable.
Who should be more cautious about increasing walking intensity?
Brisk walking is appropriate for many adults, but intensity should still match individual ability.
The CDC advises people with chronic health conditions or disabilities to discuss appropriate activity types and amounts with a healthcare professional. It also recommends that people who have been inactive, have a disability or have overweight talk with a doctor before starting vigorous-intensity activity. (CDC)
If exercise causes concerning symptoms such as chest pain, severe shortness of breath, fainting or unusual symptoms, stop and seek appropriate medical advice rather than trying to push through the discomfort.
The Bottom Line
So, should you walk faster or walk more?
For most people, the answer does not have to be one or the other.
The new UK Biobank research suggests that both daily step volume and stepping intensity are associated with mortality risk, and different combinations may be beneficial. People who cannot accumulate large numbers of steps may still have an opportunity to increase the intensity of some walking. (Life Science Network)
But the study does not prove that a particular walking speed prevents death, nor does it establish that brisk walking can simply replace a higher amount of daily movement.
The most useful message is more practical: move regularly, build your activity gradually, and make some walking brisker when your health and fitness allow.
You do not need a perfect number on your fitness tracker to make movement worthwhile.
Medical Disclaimer
This article is for general educational purposes only and does not provide individualized medical advice. Health decisions, particularly decisions about increasing exercise intensity, should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional when appropriate.
Sources
Wei L, Ahmadi MN, et al. Combinations of stepping intensity and daily step counts against all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality: insights from a device-based prospective study. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2026. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2025-111173. (Life Science Network)
Monash University research summary, September 9, 2026. (Monash University)
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult physical activity recommendations and moderate-intensity activity guidance. (CDC)
Suggested Internal Links
These are particularly relevant existing Bright Social Life articles:
What Happens When You Walk Every Day — strongest contextual link for readers wanting to understand the broader effects of regular walking.
5 Fitness Tests That Reveal How Fit You Really Are After 40 — useful for readers interested in measuring fitness rather than focusing only on step count.
Build Strength After 50 With 11 Dumbbells Exercises — complements walking with the muscle-strengthening component of physical activity.
The Nine Exercises to Improve Your Grip Strength — relevant to broader functional fitness.
Protein vs. Calcium: What Your Bones Really Need — useful as a related healthy-aging/nutrition resource.
These should be linked naturally within relevant paragraphs rather than added simply to increase the number of internal links, consistent with the site's editorial framework.
Internal-link facilitation: use the Bright Social Life site as the destination for these links rather than inventing URL paths. Bright Social Life
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