What might be more meaningful, she notes, is tracking a person's walking speed over time, which might alert a physician to new underlying problems if the pace drops off. From there, she adds, doctors could start to investigate what body system might be slowing them down. With further investigation, walking speed might also help sort out not just how long a person is going to live but also how long they are likely to maintain independence and a high level of function.
The research on walking speeds and longevity has yet to determine if adopting a quicker pace can actually help someone live longer, or whether speed is simply an independent indicator. "Gait speed should not be considered as a primary target for interventions at this time," Cesari noted in his editorial.
Research by Studenski and her colleagues had found that people whose gait speed improved over the course of a year did have an increased rate of survival. But, she says, "we are not saying people should go out and walk faster." Because there have been no clinical trials offering fast walking as an intervention, a quick pace is not a proved panacea for living longer. Many other studies have, however, found that walking helps lower blood pressure, keep weight down and improve mood. Substantial amounts of strolling have also been linked to slower memory decline and reduced risk of some cancers.
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14 Comments
Add CommentIt is an important finding. Through research investigations, a correlation between the walking speed and the probable life expectancy above 65 could be developed and remedial measures could be taken where possible. http://jdbapat.blogspot.com
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"white coat hypertension". I knew there was a name for it!! Every time that good looking nurse puts my hand under her arm and against her boob to take my blood pressure, she calls 911 !! When the doctor takes it, it shows 102/76. But I'm not complaining!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAlternatively, 'residential communities' can determine who to stop feeding. Nothing personal - it's just business...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis may be good news. Or it may simply be another instance of the correlation/causation connundrum. In other words, it's possible walking at the prescribed pace prolongs life. On the other hand, it's possible that increased lifespan and the tendency to walk at a faster rate of speed are both due to an as yet unknown or unrecognized latent variable. More research, please.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThat actually may be true. An injury or chronic condition that limits your stride or causes enough pain to reduce the time spent exercising may shorten your life. Get that operation if that's what it takes to keep you out of the vicious cycle of inactivity.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt would be "a walk in the park" to monitor average walking speed over long periods of time for millions of people carrying cellphones with GPS-recievers. The phone companies knows the age and gender of the owner and the exact location of the phone at all times. The data could be anonymousised for integrity protection.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI believe that your assertion is probably correct. The author seems to lean this way as well. But as humans we have done this ourselves many times as morbid as it is. We assess who is at deaths door and then there is the old saying of 'spry old man'.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDoes the opposite applies ?. Working to improve your walking speed will increase your life expectancy.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt's important to note the article is NOT saying higher walking speed causes you to live longer, it's just saying it's correlated with living longer. That said, studies have shown not exercising is as unhealthy as smoking, so all should do it. Still, diet and exercise can only help so much; we're fighting a loosing battle until we pursue a strategy of rejuvenation research, like the SENS Foundation is trying to do.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI walk with three different friends. One is faster, one is slower, and the other walks at about the same pace as I do. Before I read this article, I would have guessed that the one who walks the slowest would not live as long as the one who walks fastest—for a variety of reasons—but the one who walks at my same speed will live somewhere in between the two, just as I will. I don't think walking faster causes us to live longer as much as our walking speed predicts our general metabolic capacity and possibly, therefore, our longevity.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisShould I wear skates, rollar blades, or use a skateboard after the age of seventy? How is this going to grant me longevity if I fall and injure myself to death in the process? Your article should include a disclaimer about providing advice that may cause injury if followed too exactly...by the imprudent and uninformed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI agree with the author that walking speed of a person, if beng monitored over a period of time, could help doctor to investigate the condition of his health if the patient's pace slows down suddenly.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAn older friend who is much taller than me walks slower, and is quite insistent he will not walk quicker. This is not just down to slower gait but shorter stride, which may in turn be linked to circulation because muscles, ligaments etc (I guess) as well as oxygenation depend on good circulation for full function and maintenance.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat is important is to gauge the rate of recovery after falls and injuries that will cause an older person to slow down. Combined with many short breaks from sedentary behaviour, bandaging sprains, and exercising damaged backs while avoiding nasty twists and falls on slippery surfaces is key.
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