Walking at a speedy pace can lower your risk of heart rhythm issues, a new study found

Walking at This Pace Could Lower Your Risk of a Common Heart Problem, Study Suggests Experts explain the link and share advice for speeding up your stride

Walking at a speedy pace can lower your risk of heart rhythm issues, a new study found

New research found that walking at an average or brisk pace could lower the risk of heart rhythm issues.
It's estimated that atrial fibrillation, the most common type of arrhythmia, will affect 12.1 million Americans by 2030.
Experts recommend gradually increasing your walking pace, but seeking medical advice before doing so if you have pre-existing conditions.

Walking at a speedy pace could keep your heart in a normal rhythm, a new study suggests.

For the research, published April 15 in the journal Heart, scientists focused on how walking frequency, duration, and speed reduced the risk of developing heart rhythm abnormalities called arrhythmias, which can lead to a stroke and other adverse cardiac events.

The most common type of arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation (AFib), results from problems with the heart’s upper chambers and has doubled in the last decade. It is estimated that 12.1 million Americans will have AFib by 2030.

Walking at what the researchers considered an "average" pace—three to four miles per hour— lowered the chances of an arrhythmia by more than one-third, the researchers reported. Those who walked at a brisk pace of more than four miles per hour had an even lower risk.

“Our take-home message," said senior study author Jill Pell, PhD, a professor of public health at the University of Glasgow, "is that people should try and find a small amount of time during the day to walk purposefully."

What Exactly Did the Researchers Find?

While previous studies have linked walking pace to a lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and death, little research has examined the connection between walking speed and arrhythmias.

To address this gap, the researchers looked at data from 420,925 participants who reported their walking speed through a questionnaire in the UK Biobank, a large-scale bio-medical database. Almost 82,000 also provided data from activity trackers that allowed researchers to verify their speed.

Researchers categorized walking pace into slow (less than three miles an hour), average (three to four miles per hour), and brisk (more than four miles per hour).

Over a 13-year tracking period, 36,574, or 9%, of participants with self-reported data were diagnosed with heart rhythm abnormalities. The majority—23,526—received an atrial fibrillation diagnosis, while about 19,000 developed other arrhythmias, such as ventricular ones, which originate from the lower chambers of the heart.

A few patterns emerged about faster walkers. They tended to be men, live in less deprived neighborhoods, and have healthier lifestyles. On average, speedier walkers had a smaller waist circumference, weighed less, and had better grip strength and lower levels of metabolic risk factors, like fats and fasting glucose, measured in the blood. They also displayed lower levels of inflammation and lived with fewer chronic conditions.

Compared to slow walkers, people who reported walking at an average pace had a 35% lower risk of a heart rhythm abnormality. A brisk walking pace was linked with a further reduced risk, at 43%.

Of the 81,956 participants with activity tracker data, 4,117 developed arrhythmias. In contrast with slow walkers, those who walked at an average or brisk pace had a 27% lower chance of having a diagnosed arrhythmia. The more time people spent walking faster, the lower their associated risk.

After checking to see whether other factors influenced the association between walking and the lower risk of arrhythmia, the researchers found that metabolic or inflammatory factors could explain 36% of the link.

Walking benefited women, people under 60, people with a body mass index of less than 30, people with hypertension, and people with two or more chronic health conditions the most.

Were There Any Limitations?

Jonathan Myers, PhD, a cardiologist at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, who wasn’t involved in the study, told Health that the research is “impressive” and adds to the growing evidence supporting the general health benefits of physical activity.

However, Elroy Aguiar, PhD, an assistant professor of exercise science at the University of Alabama who was also unaffiliated with the research, noted some drawbacks.

“There are a few weaknesses to this study, which the authors mostly acknowledge, including the age range of the sample, which excludes the older adults 70 and over, and the majority white sample, so the results may not be generalizable to other ages and racial or ethnic groups,” he told Health.

Because the study is observational, it doesn’t establish causation but shows only an association between walking speed and reduced arrhythmia risk. However, the researchers controlled for cardiovascular risk factors and didn’t include participants diagnosed with heart or vascular disease at the start of the study.

Pell acknowledged, however, that “the ideal would be for an intervention study to now be done, in which some people who walk slowly increase their walking pace and some don’t and then find out if fewer people in the first group develop abnormal heart rhythms.”

Tips For Getting Started

According to Aguiar, walking can reduce the risk of arrhythmias and other heart problems in three ways.

First, it can improve the balance of the autonomic nervous system, which regulates the “fight or flight” and “rest and digest” response. It may also increase the size of the left ventricle, which pumps oxygenated blood through the rest of the body, raises the heart’s efficiency, and reduces blood pressure. Finally, walking improves the heart’s blood supply, reducing inflammation and plaque that could lead to blockages and heart attacks.

Another perk to walking? “It’s the easiest type of exercise that we can do, and most anyone can do it,” Myers said.

When it comes to improving heart health, it doesn’t matter whether people walk on a treadmill at the gym or outside in the park. However, Aguiar said that undulating, hilly terrain could provide a better workout and that walking outside could boost enjoyment and mental health. “People are more likely to exercise regularly if they enjoy it,” Aguiar said.

Almost anyone can build up to a brisk pace, but some might want to start slow and seek advice from their doctors beforehand, especially if they have chronic health conditions.

“As with all physical activity goals, if you are struggling, for example, because you are overweight, then build up the speed and time gradually,” Pell told Health. “But one of the interesting findings of our study was that people with existing health problems benefited most from a faster walking pace.”

Edited by Health with a background in health, science, and investigative reporting. Previously, she wrote full time about parenting issues for the app Parent Lab. Before that, she worked as a reporter for National Geographic covering wildlife crime and exploitation." tabindex="0" data-inline-tooltip="true"> Jani Hall

Jani Hall Jani Hall is a news editor for Health with a background in health, science, and investigative reporting. Previously, she wrote full time about parenting issues for the app Parent Lab. Before that, she worked as a reporter for National Geographic covering wildlife crime and exploitation. learn more Read more: