A recent Annals of Internal Medicine study published Oct. 28 found an association between taking longer walks and a decreased risk of cardiovascular events.
In a study examining 33,560 healthy adults in the United Kingdom, researchers found that individuals who went on daily walks that lasted 15 minutes or longer experienced a significantly reduced risk of cardiovascular events than individuals who went on shorter walks. Cardiovascular disease includes many conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels and is the leading cause of death in the United States.
Walking has previously been shown to improve cardiovascular health, with an August 2025 study reporting that adults who walked 7,000 steps a day had a 25% reduced risk of cardiovascular incidents compared to people who only walked 2,000 steps daily. The new study expands on this data by demonstrating that the way an individual reaches those benchmarks can also impact health outcomes.
Erin Song (CAS ’28), a biology of global health student, said walking is an especially useful form of physical activity for students who often walk long distances across campus each day to get to class.
“Walking is an easy, accessible way to get exercise in,” Song wrote to The Hoya. “And because I have to walk between classes so much every day, it’s nice to know that this unintentional exercise is supporting my heart health.”
Nadya Kotlyarevska (CAS ’28), a student studying biology, said Georgetown students can easily benefit from the positive effects of walking, given that the Georgetown area — and Washington, D.C., as a whole — is very walkable.
“I think this study is super applicable to GU students! Since we live in a very walkable city and a walkable campus, it is reassuring to know that my daily class routine or walk to Safeway is beneficial,” Kotlyarevska wrote to The Hoya.
The recent Annals findings demonstrate that the way people attain daily steps and the duration of their walks may also impact their health. After following up with participants several years after the study, they found that individuals who accumulated most of their steps through longer walking bouts of over 10 minutes had more greatly reduced cardiovascular disease incidence compared to those who only walked for bouts lasting less than 10 minutes.
Borja del Pozo Cruz, co-lead author of the study, said in an interview with NBC News that the researchers decided to use steps as a parameter because they are easy to measure.
“Everyone can essentially measure steps with their smartwatches or smartphones or pedometers or whatever,” del Pozo Cruz said. “We thought focusing on steps would be much more impactful because their translation is immediate.”
A study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2019 found that nearly one in five adults in the United States use wearable fitness trackers or similar methods to record their step count.
Song said she regularly uses health apps on her phone to track her steps.
“I try to get 10,000 steps a day and the Health app on my iPhone is the easiest way to track this,” Song wrote.
Alexa Garber (CAS ’28), a student studying neurobiology, said tracking steps can also be a helpful tool to remind students to move during the day in order to maintain an active lifestyle.
“I’ve found that checking the step tracker on my phone daily helps remind me to get up and be active during the day,” Garber told The Hoya.
The Annals study found that the benefits of a longer walking duration were more pronounced in less active individuals who walk less than 5,000 steps per day than in more active people, who walked between 5,000 and 8,000 steps daily.
Garber said these findings emphasize the importance of living an active lifestyle, something that may be difficult for students who spend much of their time sitting in class or doing schoolwork.
“I think this data is a wake-up call for myself and other young adults,” Garber said. “We spend lots of time sitting on our phones or in class, but it is so important to move every day.”
