Fewer daily steps at faster pace or more steps at slower pace may substantially lower risk
Brisker pace for half an hour a day may be sweet spot for those with sedentary lifestyles
Fewer daily steps at a faster pace or more steps at a slower pace may both substantially lower the risk of an early death, with a brisker pace for at least 30 minutes a day the potential sweet spot for those with sedentary lifestyles out of choice or necessity, suggests research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
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, explain the researchers.
To explore this further, they analysed data from 103,684 middle aged participants in the UK Biobank who wore an activity tracker for 7 consecutive days between 2013 and 2015 to monitor the number and intensity of daily steps taken.
Daily step count was divided into 4 categories: :0–5000; 5000–7500; 7500–10,000;and more than 10,000. Peak-30 cadence was measured, reflecting each person’s fastest sustained stepping rate during their most active half hour of the day.
The number of those dying from any cause or from cardiovascular disease was then tracked up to the end of November 2022.
Some 64,743 participants (average age 61; women 58%) were included in the deaths from any cause analysis; 70,075 participants (average age 62; 63% women) were included in the deaths from cardiovascular disease analysis.
During an average tracking period of around 8 years 1697 people died from any cause and 502 from cardiovascular disease. Different combinations of step count and stepping pace were associated with a lower risk of death.
For example, the risk was substantially lower among those achieving a higher stepping pace (at least 80/minute) but fewer than 5000 daily steps, which was on a par with the risk reduction observed among those clocking up 5000–7500 daily steps but at a lower stepping pace (60/minute),
This suggests “that higher intensity at lower volume can provide health benefits comparable to that of lower intensity but higher volume,” write the researchers.
Maintaining a higher pace for at least 30 minutes/day was associated with a progressively lower risk of death from any cause among those accumulating fewer than 7500 steps/day.
While achieving 7500–10,000 daily steps was associated with the lowest risk of an early death, irrespective of the pace, maintaining a brisker pace for at least 30 minutes every day was also associated with a lower risk of death from any cause, irrespective of the step count..
Similar findings on step count and stepping pace combinations were observed for the risk of a cardiovascular disease death.
This is an observational study, and as such, can’t establish cause and effect. But the findings may be particularly relevant for those who either don’t have the time to accrue an adequate daily step count or whose physical incapacity or environmental restraints make it very difficult for them to do so, suggest the researchers.
“Our findings contribute to the evidence base for step-based approaches targeting both daily step counts and stepping intensity to lower mortality risk, and may inform step-based interventions for middle-aged and older adults, particularly individuals with barriers to increasing daily step counts or stepping intensity,” they conclude.
08/09/2026
Notes for editors
Research: Combinations of stepping intensity and daily step counts against all- cause and cardiovascular disease mortality: insights from a device- based prospective study Doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2025-111173
Journal: British Journal of Sports Medicine
About the journal
The British Journal of Sports Medicine is one of more than 80 journals published by BMJ Group. The title is co-owned with the British Association for Sport & Exercise Medicine (BASEM)
https://bjsm.bmj.com
External funding: National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Link to Academy of Medical Sciences press release labelling system:
http://press.psprings.co.uk/
Externally peer reviewed? Yes
Evidence type: Observational; data analysis
Subjects: People
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