A potent message about physical activity lately is that every step counts and that exercise “snacks” can give us tangible benefits. The thinking goes they offer benefits on par with longer exercise sessions, or what we might, in the context, call “meals”.

So, the findings of a new study may seem confusing at first.

The international study, led by an Australian team, sought to understand whether the patterns of accumulating steps matters among physically inactive people (about 80 per cent of the population).

They already knew that most of the steps we accrue tend to be through incidental movement. What they didn’t know was whether it made a difference if you took those steps in longer bouts – 10 to 15 minutes of walking at a time – compared with shorter bouts of five minutes or less.

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