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- A new study found that older adults who walked faster had a lower risk of cognitive decline.
- Faster walking may both reflect and contribute to better brain health.
- Rather than trying to walk faster, experts say it’s more important to pay attention to changes in your walking speed over time.
You might assume that doing puzzles or other mental tests would be the way to gauge how well your brain is functioning. But as it turns out, how fast you walk may tell you a lot, too.
A recent study published in the journal Neurology suggests that people in their 80s with an exceptionally brisk stride—so-called “super movers,” according to the researchers—have a significantly lower risk of developing cognitive decline than their slower-walking counterparts.
The finding “highlights the close connection between the brain and the body,” said Joe Verghese, MD, a study author and professor and chair of neurology at Stony Brook University’s Renaissance School of Medicine.
Super Moving Linked to Better Cognitive Function
Previous research has established a link between walking and slower cognitive decline. But for this study, researchers wanted to know whether speedy walking could serve as a direct marker of cognitive resilience in old age.
To find out, they analyzed data from nearly 4,000 adults in their 80s enrolled in a long-term aging study. Participants completed a timed walking test, and the fastest 9%—those who walked at least 1.5 standard deviations faster than the average for their peers—were dubbed “super movers.”
These fast walkers had a 51% lower risk of developing cognitive impairment than their peers. They also tended to have greater preserved hippocampal volume, which has been associated with better cognitive function.
The study has some noteworthy caveats, however. The researchers acknowledged that measuring how steady a person’s steps are, which is known as step-to-step variability, might reveal more about brain health than walking speed. However, that analysis would have required resources that weren’t practical for such a large study.
Additionally, the researchers didn’t have participants’ genetic data, and most participants were “highly educated, more health conscious, and generally high-functioning,” which means the findings may not apply to a broader population.
Fast Walking Is a Window Into Brain Health
The association between speedy walking and better cognition makes sense, Verghese said, because the ability to walk fast “requires multiple brain regions to work together to control movement, balance, vision, and attention.”
Because of this, he added, walking speed can “reflect overall brain health,” although factors such as heart health, muscle strength, and joint function play a role as well.
In addition to providing a window into brain health, brisk walking could even play a protective role, said Richard G. Stefanacci, DO, the medical director of Inspira Health’s Living Independently for Elders (LIFE) Program, who wasn’t affiliated with the research.
To him, the most revealing study finding was “that on an autopsy, super movers had no less Alzheimer’s pathology than anyone else, yet better cognition in life.” That suggests that fast walking isn’t clearing the disease from the brain. Instead, it—along with factors such as a younger biological age, better vascular health, and certain genes—may help protect against cognitive decline, he said.
What The Study Findings Mean For You
If you aren’t a fast walker, that doesn’t mean you have poorer cognitive function. “Most people aren’t super movers, and this study isn’t a verdict on them,” Stefanacci said. “Not being one is not a diagnosis.”
Instead of trying to become a faster walker, experts said it’s more important to pay attention to your own walking speed.
“What matters more is change over time,” Considine added. “If you or a family member notices a meaningful slowing in your usual pace, that’s worth raising with your physician.”
Gait changes can be a sign that you’re moving less, which may also signal cognitive decline, Stefanacci explained.
To protect your brain, physical activity matters more than walking speed, he added. “Aerobic work, plus strength and balance work, protects your gait,” Stefanacci said. “If speed improves as a byproduct of getting fitter, great. But fitness is the goal.”
Other ways to support brain health include staying mentally and socially engaged and eating a healthy diet. A Mediterranean-style diet, in particular, has been linked to better brain health. It’s also important to get an annual wellness exam, so your doctor can identify and manage risk factors for cognitive decline.
Read the original article on Health
