Just 20 minutes of extra walking daily can help protect high risk people from developing heart disease, researchers revealed today.
At a moderate pace, this amounts to 2,000 steps and the new findings suggest this can make a big difference to people at high risk of developing diabetes.
The findings come from a major international study involving more than 9,000 people in 40 countries.
Participants had impaired glucose tolerance, meaning they were at risk of developing diabetes. They were encouraged to get their levels of physical activity up to 150 minutes a week.
Researchers found that every 2,000 extra steps a day that participants managed cut their risk of developing heart disease or suffering stroke by 10%, they report in The Lancet.
Researcher Dr Thomas Yates, from Leicester University, UK, said: "Our results provide novel evidence that changing physical activity levels through simply increasing the number of steps taken can substantially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack and stroke.
"Importantly, these benefits are seen regardless of bodyweight status or the starting level of activity.
"These novel findings provide the strongest evidence yet for the importance of physical activity in high risk populations and will inform diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention programmes worldwide."
The findings were welcomed by the British Heart Foundation.
Julie Ward, of the foundation, said: "Getting plenty of exercise has many health benefits and helps to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. This is particularly important for people with diabetes as they are already at greater risk of heart attacks and stroke.
"If 150 minutes sounds intimidating, remember it can be broken up into smaller chunks.
"After all, the 2,000 steps in this study equates to roughly 20 minutes of moderately-paced walking, so even a brisk walk in your lunch break will count."
* A second report today in the British Medical Journal highlights the benefits of eating fibre in preventing heart disease.
Researcher Dr Victoria Burley says fibre from cereal and vegetable helps cut risk of cardiovascular disease and of coronary heart disease.
Thomas Yates et al. Association between change in daily ambulatory activity and cardiovascular events in people with impaired glucose tolerance (NAVIGATOR trial). Lancet 20 December 2013 [abstract]
BMJ 20 December 2013 [abstract]
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