Accelerating your walking pace could be a key strategy for reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to according to a recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Researchers in Iran found that maintaining a habitual walking speed of 2.5 miles per hour (mph) or faster significantly lowers the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. The study revealed that with every 0.6 mph increase in walking speed, there is corresponding 9 percent reduction in the risk of developing this prevalent metabolic condition.
“Our results provide support for the incorporation of walking speed into physical activity guidelines. While current strategies to increase total walking time are beneficial, it may also be reasonable to encourage people to walk at faster speeds to further increase the health benefits of walking,” says lead study author Ahmed Jayedi, PhD, a researcher in nutrition at Semnan University of Medical Sciences in Iran.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) already recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week for overall health, with brisk walking (at a pace of 3 mph or faster) being a viable option.
According to the CDC, the average walking pace for adults is around 3 mph, suggesting that maintaining this average speed could contribute to enhanced protection against diseases like type 2 diabetes.
The Higher the Walking Speed, The More Benefits
Dr. Jayedi and his research team arrived at these findings by analyzing data from 10 studies investigating the link between walking speed and the risk of type 2 diabetes in adults. These studies, conducted between 1999 and 2022, involved over half a million adults from the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom, with monitoring periods ranging from 3 to 11 years.
The analysis demonstrated that compared to walking at a leisurely pace of under 2 mph, maintaining a regular walking speed of 2 to 3 mph correlated with a 15 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, irrespective of the total time spent walking. Engaging in fairly brisk walking at a speed of 3 to 4 mph was associated with an even higher reduction in disease risk, reaching 24 percent.
Notably, a habitual walking pace exceeding 4 mph resulted in a substantial 39 percent reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes. The study estimated that this highest level of risk reduction translated to 2.24 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes per every 100 people.
The critical factor in obtaining these benefits was identified as reaching a habitual walking speed of 2.5 mph – equivalent to 87 steps per minute for men and 100 steps per minute for women. Monitoring walking speed can be facilitated by fitness tracking devices like pedometers.
According to the CDC, if “you can talk but not sing during the activity,” it indicates moderate-intensity physical activity. Alternatively, at a higher “vigorous” level, one should not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath, explains the health agency.
How Increasing the Intensity of Walking May Help
These findings align with existing knowledge about the relationship between exercise and diabetes risk. The American Diabetes Association emphasizes that regular physical activity plays a crucial role in managing diabetes and prediabetes. Physical activity enhances insulin sensitivity, enabling more effective blood sugar reduction.
“The faster someone walks, the more effort they exert — which in turn may improve fitness, reduce and manage weight, and reduce insulin resistance,” says Michael Fang, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, whose research interests include diabetes and wearable technology.
While higher walking speeds appear to offer greater risk reduction, Dr. Robert Gabbay of the American Diabetes Association suggests that any level of regular walking provides health benefits. Incorporating the practice of increasing the intensity of habitual walking into everyday life is a practical approach that individuals can adopt for improved well-being.
“Overall, I think the message is that walking is an important way to improve your health. It may be true that walking faster is even better, but given the fact that most Americans do not get sufficient walking in the first place, it is most important to encourage people to walk more as they’re able to,” says Dr. Gabbay, who was not involved in the study.
Dr. Fang cautioned that results were limited because the research was based on summarized observational studies rather than clinical trials. “This is important because it means people may have had preexisting differences in their health [that were not captured in this type of study],” says Fang, who was not involved in the latest study.
“People who are able to walk faster are likely healthier to begin with. That means we’re not sure if the relationship between walking speed and reduced diabetes risk is actually caused by the walking, or by baseline differences in health.”
According to study author Jayedi, increasing the intensity of habitual walking is a practice that people can easily incorporate into their everyday lives.
“We can increase our walking time and speed when going to work, to school or university, and walking with friends,” he adds.
He also says that tracking walking speeds and setting goals related to speed may also help too.
“While any time spent walking per day is better than no walking at all, walking at faster speeds may increase health benefits of walking, independent of the total volume of physical activity or time spent walking per day.”
says Michael Fang, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, whose research interests include diabetes and wearable technology.
While higher walking speeds appear to offer greater risk reduction, Dr. Robert Gabbay of the American Diabetes Association suggests that any level of regular walking provides health benefits. Incorporating the practice of increasing the intensity of habitual walking into everyday life is a practical approach that individuals can adopt for improved well-being.
“Overall, I think the message is that walking is an important way to improve your health. It may be true that walking faster is even better, but given the fact that most Americans do not get sufficient walking in the first place, it is most important to encourage people to walk more as they’re able to,” says Dr. Gabbay, who was not involved in the study.
Dr. Fang cautioned that results were limited because the research was based on summarized observational studies rather than clinical trials. “This is important because it means people may have had preexisting differences in their health [that were not captured in this type of study],” says Fang, who was not involved in the latest study.
“People who are able to walk faster are likely healthier to begin with. That means we’re not sure if the relationship between walking speed and reduced diabetes risk is actually caused by the walking, or by baseline differences in health.”
According to study author Jayedi, increasing the intensity of habitual walking is a practice that people can easily incorporate into their everyday lives.
“We can increase our walking time and speed when going to work, to school or university, and walking with friends,” he adds.
He also says that tracking walking speeds and setting goals related to speed may also help too.
“While any time spent walking per day is better than no walking at all, walking at faster speeds may increase health benefits of walking, independent of the total volume of physical activity or time spent walking per day.”
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