This Is How Fast You Should Walk to Lower Your Diabetes Risk, According to a New Study

Walking has many proven health benefits—from warding off heart disease and reducing blood pressure to improving balance. A new study adds another perk to the list: diabetes risk reduction. But you have to walk fast enough to reap the benefit.

The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, shows that picking up the pace when walking could significantly lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. Specifically, people who maintained a habitual walking speed of 2.5 miles per hour (mph) or faster—about 24 minutes per mile—decreased their chances of developing type 2 diabetes in the future.

“Our findings suggest that 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,” lead study author Ahmad Jayedi, PhD, a research assistant at the Social Determinants of Health Research Center at Semnan University of Medical Sciences in Iran, told Verywell in an email. 

Here’s how walking speed can impact diabetes risk and effective methods to track your own pace, according to experts.

Fast Speed, Greater Benefits

Jayedi and his colleagues analyzed data from 10 studies that involved more than 500,000 people from the U.S., Japan, and the U.K. who reported their walking habits.

The researchers defined walking speed as the following: 

• Easy or casual walking: less than 2 mph
• Average or normal walking: 2 to 3 mph
• Fairly brisk walking: 3 to 4 mph
• Brisk or striding walking: greater than 4 mph

Regardless of step count or distance, participants who walked at a normal walking speed, or an average of 2 to 3 mph, had a 15% lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared with people who walked at a slower pace (under 2 mph).

Participants who walked at a fairly brisk pace, ranging between 3 to 4 mph, had an even bigger decrease in their risk of type 2 diabetes compared to a slower-paced walk or leisurely stroll at 24%. Once they clocked in at over 4 mph, the diabetes risk reduction improved to 39%.

“There is no specific instruction for gait speed in current guidelines,” said Jayedi. “Our results provide some support for the incorporation of walking speed into physical activity guidelines.”

Why Increasing Walking Speed May Help Lower Diabetes Risk  

One of the main reasons why walking at a faster pace can lower diabetes risk is because higher walking speeds engage more muscle groups and elevate the heart rate. This can improve insulin sensitivity, which is an important aspect in managing blood sugar levels, Pouya Shafipour, MD, board-certified family and obesity medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, told Verywell. 

Typically, staying active boosts insulin sensitivity, enabling the cells of the body to use blood glucose more effectively. This ultimately reduces blood sugar levels. Insulin, a hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels, plays an important role in this process. 

Moreover, Priya Jaisinghani, MD, endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist at NYU Langone Health, emphasizes that faster walking speed raises the intensity of physical activity. This increase in intensity can notably lower insulin resistance, a key factor associated with the development of type 2 diabetes. 

“Moderate-intensity physical activity has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and lower insulin resistance,” Jaisinghani said. “Moderate-intensity aerobic activity includes brisk walking at least 2.5 miles per hour.”

It’s important to note while this study highlighted the potential benefits of faster walking speeds, people should engage in any amount of walking they can tolerate regardless of the speed, Jaisinghani said.

“Some exercise is better than no exercise,” she said.

Other Benefits Linked to Good Walking Speed

According to Jaisinghani, exercise such as brisk walking benefits your heart, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. It can even strengthen your bones and immune system.

“[Exercise] can also help improve your mental health, mood, sleep, and cognition,” she said.

The American Heart Association says walking at a lively pace may help reduce the risk of serious diseases like heart disease, stroke, and several types of cancer. Additionally, brisk walking can increase your energy and stamina, improve memory, reduce the risk of dementia, and prevent weight gain.

How to Track Your Walking Speed

A good rule of thumb for monitoring pace is to use the talk test, which is a simple way to measure relative intensity. 

“According to the CDC talk test, you can tell you’re walking briskly (about 3 miles an hour) if you can still talk but cannot sing while walking,” Jaisinghani said.

Besides using the talk test, there are several other methods you can use to track your walking speed, including mobile walking speed apps, smart watches, fitness bands, and online mapping tools. Walking on the treadmill makes it easy to monitor miles per hour, too.