To know your physical condition, the doctor takes some information such as: blood pressure, BMI… But there could be a new health indicator according to American researchers from the University of Southern California ::”the speed of the gait is a very good predictor of mortality“.
The faster you walk, the better off you are
Cardiac surgeons use it to assess the recovery of recently operated patients. But according to the study from the University of Southern California, this index can also reveal cardiovascular diseases or cognitive problems.
The researcher explains her point of view very simply: “the sicker someone is (whether from cancer treatment or another illness) the more strength and ability to move they loseSo someone who is healthy will tend to have a faster natural gait than someone who is unwell. In other words, an individual’s natural walking speed reveals their health status.
Walking faster won’t make you better
That said, the study does not say that you have to walk faster to be healthier, according to the American researchers, there is no evidence that it would work. What the Australian researchers do not quite agree on, last June appeared a study which affirmed that medium and brisk walking was associated with a reduction in mortality.
Either way, the recently released study of Americans emphasizes one key factor: if your gait slows down, especially if it’s significantly so, that may be an indicator that something is wrong. .
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