Walking briskly may be one of the simplest yet most powerful predictors of a longer life, according to a major study involving nearly half a million adults.
Researchers found that individuals who maintained a fast walking pace lived up to 15 years longer than those who walked slowly—regardless of their body weight. The study suggests that walking speed may be a stronger indicator of longevity than body mass index (BMI), overturning common assumptions that weight alone is a top health marker.
Most strikingly, overweight and even obese individuals who walked quickly outlived slower walkers in all weight categories. The findings underscore the idea that physical fitness—particularly cardiovascular endurance—can dramatically influence health outcomes. Published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings using data from the UK Biobank, the study reinforces how something as routine as walking pace can offer meaningful insight into future health. In other words: how fast you move today may say more about your future than the number on the scale.
Source: Yates, T. et al., “Walking Pace and the Risk of Mortality: A Large Prospective Cohort Study,” Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2021.
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