Putting a little extra pep in your step just might protect your heart from developing a potentially serious issue, says a new study.
Researchers Just Found That Walking Reduces the Risk of Another Heart Condition
Published on Jun. 05, 2025
Whether you prefer a purposeful power walk or more of a leisurely stroll, walking is one of the best (and easiest) things we can do for our health. Recent research found that walking several thousand daily steps could lower cardiac death risk—and now there’s evidence that walking at a particular pace can yield other benefits, especially for those in certain “high risk” groups.
Published in April’s peer-reviewed Heart journal, a study was conducted by a research team based in three countries—Scotland, Chile, and Australia—representing fields such as cardiovascular and medical sciences, health and wellbeing, and human movement and nutrition sciences.
Using information from the UK Biobank—which claims to be “the world’s most important health research database”—researchers included 420,925 participants who provided details about their walking speed through questionnaire responses. Of that group, 81,956 had walking speed data available via accelerometers (movement-measuring devices).
The team was particularly interested in someone’s walking pace and “its potential impact” on cardiac arrhythmias, according to a corresponding University of Glasgow press release about the study. Arrhythmias are heart rhythms that aren’t normal, with atrial fibrillation (AFib) being the most common type in the U.S., according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The participants and their walking speeds were broken down into three groups:
- 27,877 walked at a slow pace (less than 3 miles per hour)
- 221,664 had a steady/average pace (3 to 4 miles per hour)
- 171,384 reported a brisk pace (more than 4 miles per hour)
Those with faster walking speeds were “more likely to be men, live in less deprived areas, and have healthier lifestyles,” among other factors, according to the press release.
After a monitoring period that averaged 13 years, it was determined that 9% of the participants developed cardiac arrhythmias. Notably, 23,526 developed atrial fibrillation, though “other” cardiac arrhythmias presented in 19,093 individuals, along with additional types of arrhythmias being reported.
The study found that walking at an average speed resulted in a 35% lower risk level of “all heart rhythm abnormalities” versus a slow walking pace. Even better, there was a 43% risk reduction for those with a brisk walking pace.
The findings were “strongest” among the following groups:
- Women
- Those under 60
- Non-obese individuals
- Those with hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Those with pre-existing, long-term conditions
Concluded the study: “Our findings suggest brisk walking may be a safe and effective exercise to reduce arrhythmias, especially for higher risk groups.”
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