Different daily step count and stepping pace combos may all lower the risk of early death
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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 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, the researchers explain.
To explore this further, they analyzed data from 103,684 middle-aged participants in the UK Biobank who wore an activity tracker for seven consecutive days between 2013 and 2015 to monitor the number and intensity of daily steps taken.
Daily step count was divided into four categories: 0–5,000; 5,000–7,500; 7,500–10,000; 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 through the end of November 2022.
Some 64,743 participants (average age 61; 58% women) 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 eight years, 1,697 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 steps/minute) but fewer than 5,000 daily steps, which was on par with the risk reduction observed among those clocking up 5,000–7,500 daily steps at a lower stepping pace (60 steps/minute).
This suggests "that higher intensity at lower volume can provide health benefits comparable to those of lower intensity but higher volume," the researchers write.
Maintaining a higher pace for at least 30 minutes a day was associated with a progressively lower risk of death from any cause among those accumulating fewer than 7,500 steps a day.
While achieving 7,500–10,000 daily steps was associated with the lowest risk of an early death, irrespective of 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 step count.
Similar findings on step count and stepping pace combinations were observed for the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
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 constraints make it very difficult for them to do so, the researchers suggest.
"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.
Publication details
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
Journal information: British Journal of Sports Medicine
Key medical concepts
All-Cause MortalityCardiovascular Diseases
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Fitness & Physical activitySports medicinePreventive medicineHealthy livingHealthy aging Provided by British Medical Journal Who's behind this story?
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