Key takeaways
- The CDC says adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week plus 2 days of muscle-strengthening, but that you can break it into smaller chunks, and “some physical activity is better than none.”
- A large pooled study linked even a small amount of brisk walking, up to 75 minutes a week, to about 1.8 more years of life expectancy than no activity. Ten minutes a day is about 70 minutes a week.
- A review of 15 studies found people who walked more had a lower risk of dying during follow-up, with benefits levelling off around 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day for those 60 and older.
- These are associations from observation, not proof that walking causes longer life.
This article is general health information, not medical advice. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise programme, especially if you have a health condition.
What the CDC recommends
The CDC says, according to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults need:
- 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, such as brisk walking (for example, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week), or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or an equivalent mix; and
- muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days a week that works all major muscle groups.
It adds that “you don’t have to do it all at once” and can break it into smaller chunks, and that adults who “sit less and do any amount of moderate- or vigorous-intensity physical activity gain some health benefits.” So ten-minute walks count.
Study 1: How much walking is linked to a longer life?
A 2012 study in PLOS Medicine pooled data from six large US studies covering 654,827 people aged 21 to 90, with a median follow-up of 10 years and 82,465 deaths. Physical activity was self-reported. The researchers found:
- 0.1 to 3.74 MET-hours a week, which equals brisk walking for up to 75 minutes a week, was associated with a 1.8-year gain in life expectancy (after age 40) compared with no leisure-time activity.
- The highest level (brisk walking for 450 minutes or more a week) was associated with a gain of 4.5 years.
- More activity was associated with greater gains, across body-weight groups.
Ten minutes a day is about 70 minutes a week, which sits within that lowest activity band. The authors note a limitation: activity was self-reported.
Study 2: How many steps?
A 2022 meta-analysis in The Lancet Public Health combined 15 studies with 47,471 adults (3,013 deaths over a median 7.1 years). Compared with the group walking the fewest steps (a median of 3,553 a day), the risk of dying during follow-up was:
- 40% lower for the second group (median 5,801 steps; hazard ratio 0.60),
- 45% lower for the third (7,842 steps; 0.55), and
- 53% lower for the fourth (10,901 steps; 0.47).
The authors found the benefit grew until about 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day for adults 60 and older, and until 8,000 to 10,000 steps for adults younger than 60. The study began by noting that “10 000 steps per day is widely promoted” but that there was “little evidence to support this recommendation.”
Study 3: What about lifting weights?
A 2022 review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine pooled 16 cohort studies on muscle-strengthening activity, independent of aerobic exercise. It found muscle-strengthening was associated with a 10 to 17% lower risk of dying from any cause, heart disease, total cancer, diabetes and lung cancer. The biggest reduction (about 10 to 20%) was at about 30 to 60 minutes a week. Combined strength and aerobic activity was linked to lower risks than doing neither.
The authors said it was unclear whether more than that amount helps further, since the pattern flattened or turned up at higher volumes.
Putting it together: a realistic plan
- Walk 10 minutes, a few times a day. Three brisk 10-minute walks is 30 minutes. The CDC says shorter chunks count.
- Add strength twice a week. Bodyweight moves, resistance bands or weights that work your legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms.
- Build up. If you’re inactive now, even the lowest band of walking in the PLOS Medicine study was linked to some gain.
- Count what’s easy. Steps from a basic phone or watch are fine for tracking.
See also our guides to healthy habits and how the body replaces its cells.
What these studies can’t tell you
- Association isn’t proof. These are observational studies. People who walk more may differ in other ways, such as health or income.
- “Years gained” are averages. The PLOS Medicine figures are estimates for groups, not promises for an individual.
- Self-reported activity. The PLOS Medicine study relied on people reporting their own activity.
- Not every health condition is the same. Talk to your doctor about what’s right for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is 10 minutes of walking a day enough? The CDC says some activity is better than none and that its 150-minute weekly target can be broken into smaller chunks. Ten minutes a day is about 70 minutes a week.
Do I need 10,000 steps? A 2022 meta-analysis found benefits levelling off around 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day for adults 60 and over, and 8,000 to 10,000 for younger adults.
How much strength training? The CDC says at least 2 days a week. A review found the biggest linked benefit at about 30 to 60 minutes a week.
Will it really add years? One large study linked up to 75 minutes of brisk walking a week with about 1.8 more years of life expectancy, but that shows an association, not cause and effect.
Information checked on: November 13, 2026. Guidelines are updated periodically.
Sources
- CDC, “Adult Activity: An Overview” (physical activity guidelines for adults)
- Leisure time physical activity of moderate to vigorous intensity and mortality: a large pooled cohort analysis. PLOS Medicine, 2012
- Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. The Lancet Public Health, 2022
- Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2022
Health note: this article is for general information and is not medical advice. Speak to a qualified health professional about your own situation.
