Step count vs tracking minutes: What really increases lifespan and boosts heart health

In an age of fitness trackers and smartwatch notifications, it’s easy to get caught up in numbers—steps walked, minutes exercised, calories burned. But which really matters when it comes to living longer and protecting your heart? New research shows that both step counts and exercise duration offer significant health benefits, yet understanding how to track your activity effectively could make all the difference.

Steps or Minutes?

A study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital analyzed data from nearly 14,400 women aged 62 and older, participants in the Women’s Health Study. Participants wore research-grade activity monitors for seven consecutive days, only removing them for sleep or water-based activities. Researchers followed them until 2022, tracking deaths and cardiovascular events.

The results showed that higher levels of physical activity—whether measured in steps or in minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise—were linked to a 30%–40% lower risk of death or cardiovascular disease for the most active women compared with the least active quarter. Over nine years, the most active women lived, on average, 2.2 to 2.4 months longer, regardless of whether steps or minutes were used as the metric (Hamaya et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2023).


Healthline also emphasizes that both step counts and minutes of activity are effective ways to monitor physical activity. Their coverage highlights that achieving 7,000–10,000 steps per day or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic conditions. Healthline notes that movement matters more than the metric, with “move more, sit less” remaining a core goal.

Advantages and Limitations
Step counts are easy to measure and capture everyday activity beyond formal exercise, making them especially useful for walking or jogging. However, Healthline points out that step counts may not reflect fitness differences; a 30-minute walk may produce different step totals for a younger versus older adult.

Time-based tracking is simpler for activities where step counts are less relevant, such as swimming or cycling. Healthline also suggests that tracking exercise duration can help beginners avoid the pressure of hitting arbitrary step goals, while more experienced individuals may benefit from gradually increasing step targets to stay motivated.


Experts stress that consistency and personal preference matter more than the metric chosen. Hamaya explained that exercise looks different for everyone, and nearly all forms of movement improve health. Healthline also advises mixing intensity levels and incorporating other exercises, such as strength training, to prevent plateauing and maintain overall fitness.