If you're getting fewer than 8,000 steps a day from short bouts of walking, you're in a lot more danger of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and suffering premature death than if you get most of your steps all at once.

That's the conclusion of research published in Annals of Internal Medicine that looked at more than 33,000 people, some of whom walked for less than five minutes at a time and some who walked for 15 minutes or more at a time.

Study participants who added up their steps from "walks" of 5 minutes or less were in excess of 300% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 400% more likely to die in the next decade than those who got their steps by walking for 15 minutes or more.

Another study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that for women ages 65 and older, getting in 4,000 steps or more a day over one or two days a week lowered their risk of CVD by 27% compared to their completely sedentary peers.

If you're not moving around very much, step up the length of time you're walking. And once you've mastered longer, faster walks, aim for 10,000 steps a day or the equivalent undertaken in episodes of 15 minutes or more.

The more you move, the younger you’ll feel, and the longer, healthier, and happier you'll be.

For help starting a walking routine and exercising (aerobics and strength training), check out my book, "The RealAge Workout."