How fast we walk can tell more about our health than it seems at first glance. Studies show that slow gait is associated with a decrease in brain volume, a decrease in cognitive functions and an increased risk of disease, including heart attacks and even premature death.
It turns out that a regular walk to a store or bus stop can be a test for physical vulnerability, body functionality and brain aging. Slowing the pace of walking at the middle age may indicate the beginning of more serious health problems.
According to Christina Dile-Konstite from Harvard Medical School, reducing speed is often associated with muscle weakness, limitation of joint mobility and general depletion of the body. Walking is not only the work of the muscles and bones, but the complex interaction of the organs of vision, cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems.
Regular walking test tests - such as 10 meters at the usual pace - can find how efficiently these systems operate. The results of such tests are already used to predict life expectancy and efficiency after stroke.
On average, a person aged 40-49 is 1.4 m/s, while at 80-89 - this figure decreases to less than 1 m/s. Slower rates indicate accelerated aging: decrease in strength, worse lungs, higher pressure and reduction of cognitive abilities.
Moreover, in the study of Duke University, it is proved that even at 45 years the difference in walking speed indicates significant differences in the brain. People who went slower had a thinner neocortex, smaller brain volume and worse results in intelligence, memory and reaction tests.
However, the situation can be improved. Scientists advise to walk more often, even at short distances. Parking away, walking with a dog, or just taking breaks for a five -minute walk - all this works for the benefit of both the brain and the body.
Walking is a simple tool in combating premature aging. The main thing is not to stop.
