Walking Faster Could Slash Your Risk of Heart Arrhythmias by 43%, New Study Reveals

Increasing the pace at which you walk may help reduce your risk of cardiac rhythm problems.

 In contrast to a slow speed, walking at an average or quick pace was linked to 35% and 43% decreased chances of all heart rhythm abnormalities examined, respectively, according to a major new study published Tuesday in the journal Heart.

These irregularities include bradyarrhythmias, ventricular arrhythmias, and atrial fibrillation.  The most prevalent arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, is defined by an erratic and fast heartbeat that starts in the heart's upper chambers, or atria. In contrast to the normal range of 60 to 100 beats per minute, bradyarrhythmias are characterized by unusually slow heart rhythms, usually less than 60 beats per minute. When the ventricles, the heart's lower chambers, beat too quickly, it can cause ventricular arrhythmias.

In an email, senior study author Dr. Jill Pell, the Henry Mechan Professor of Public Health at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, stated, "The great thing about walking is that it is accessible to everyone." "You don't have to pay to use a gym or purchase equipment. You can simply leave through your front door and carry on.

According to a 2024 study, atrial fibrillation affects around 60 million people globally. People with arrhythmias are generally more likely to have heart attacks or strokes and die young, according to Pell, however estimates of those with various arrhythmias are less clear.

These individuals can be treated with medications and treatments, but it would be better to stop heart rhythm disorders before they start, Pell continued.

Furthermore, to the best of the authors' knowledge, just one prior study on aberrant heart rhythms and walking pace has been conducted, and that study only examined one kind of arrhythmia, according to Pell.  Additionally, previous studies have shown that "walking pace is linked to other outcomes such as cardiovascular disease, so we wanted to see if the same was true of heart rhythm abnormalities," Pell explained.

The authors looked at exercise and health data from adults who were recruited for the UK Biobank project between 2006 and 2010, which tracked the health outcomes of over 500,000 individuals in the UK between the ages of 40 and 69.  In the questionnaires, participants were asked if they walked at a quick pace (greater than 4 miles or 6.4 kilometers per hour), average pace (between 3 and 4 miles or 4.8 and 6.4 kilometers per hour), or slow pace (less than 3 miles or 4.8 kilometers per hour).

 Arrhythmias occurred in 9% of individuals throughout an average follow-up duration of 13 years.

Referring to information from watches that measure movement speed, Pell stated, "We had data on self-reported walking pace from more than 420,000 people but we also had accelerometry data on (nearly) 82,000 of these."  "The data from the watches indicated that walking for just 5 to 15 minutes a day at an average pace (3 to 4 miles per hour) was enough to lower your risk."

 The authors discovered that the connections were strongest among women, those under 60, those without obesity, those with high blood pressure, and those with two or more prior diseases.

"This is an intriguing discovery because, despite the fact that women are less likely than men to develop atrial fibrillation, they are more likely to experience heart attacks and strokes after they do," Pell said.

 The study, according to cardiologist Dr. Martha Gulati, is significant because it supports previous relevant studies, conducted by her and others, that demonstrated the advantages of physical activity for atrial fibrillation and stronger correlations among women.

“This shows that one of the primary prevention strategies to reduce cardiac arrhythmias is brisk walking,” added Gulati, director of preventive cardiology at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Gulati wasn’t involved in the research.

The Connection Between Heart rate and Walking:

The authors stated that because the study is observational, it cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship.  Inaccurate memories or biases can potentially affect self-reported health statistics.

 According to Pell, there is always a chance that those who walk more slowly in observational studies are doing so because they are already ill.

 "We made every effort to prevent this by ensuring that no one had any heart or vascular disease at the start of the study," she continued.  However, Pell stated, "to validate our findings, we really need an intervention study right now: a study of people who walk slowly, in which some are asked to increase their walking pace and some are not."

According to Dr. Sean Heffron, director of cardiovascular fitness and nutrition at the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at New York University, A-Fib is linked to a number of risk factors that are also linked to diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity.  The study did not include him.

Those who walked more quickly were more likely to be men, live in less affluent neighborhoods, lead healthier lives, and weigh less.  Additionally, they had smaller waists, improved grip strength, and reduced levels of metabolic risk factors like blood sugar and cholesterol as well as inflammation.

And unlike atrial fibrillation, bradyarrhythmias or ventricular arrhythmias are vague, can have a wide range of other causes, and are unquestionably less directly linked to lifestyle-related issues, Heffron continued.  "I thought it was interesting to lump them all together."

More than one-third of the positive impact of walking more quickly, according to the authors, "was due to the fact that walking more quickly lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose and makes you less likely to put on weight," Pell said, adding that these decreases also cut your risk of heart rate irregularities.

 "The first step is literally a step," Gulati stated, even though a fast pace appears to be preferable to a slow one.  "We begin by walking slowly, but as you continue, your pace will quicken."

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

1. How Much Should I Walk to Reduce Arrhythmia Risk?

Just 5–15 minutes of brisk walking daily (3–4 mph) showed benefits in the study. 

2. Can Walking Really Prevent Atrial Fibrillation?

While it doesn’t guarantee prevention, brisk walkers had 43% lower A-fib risk than slow walkers.

3. Is Walking better than other Exercises for Heart Health?

Walking is low-risk, accessible, and proven to improve cardiovascular health—making it a great starting point.

4. Why are women more impacted?

Though women get A-fib less often, they face higher stroke risks when they do. Faster walking may help offset this.

5. What if I can’t walk fast due to joint pain?

Even a moderate pace helps—consistency matters more than speed.

Conclusion:

Your daily walk could be a lifesaver—if you step it up. This study adds to growing evidence that brisk walking strengthens the heart, slashes arrhythmia risks, and may even add years to your life. So next time you’re out, push your pace a little. Your heart will thank you.

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