To live longer, walk faster!

Is your walking speed rather slow or fast? Your answer could have an influence on your health and a fortiori your life expectancy. In any case, this is the conviction of British researchers from the University Hospitals of Leicester, authors of a study on the subject. They suggest that the pace of walking plays an important role in life expectancy. According to them, people who walk fast tend to live longer, regardless of body weight. This study is the first to associate life expectancy with walking pace, regardless of thebody mass index (BMI).

To arrive at these conclusions, the researchers analyzed the data of the British Biobank relating to 474,919 people recruited in the United Kingdom. They observed this correlation between brisk walking and longer life expectancy, regardless of weight – from underweight to morbid obesity. Indeed, underweight people who walked slowly had the lowest life expectancy (64.8 years for men and 72.4 years for women on average) compared to fast walkers. By taking into consideration the waistline, the researchers arrived at the same result tending to prove that the slower one walks the lower the life expectancy is.

Walking speed, a tool as important as BMI

Researchers go further. The walking speed would be a tool as reliable as the Body Mass Index (BMI) to assess fitness and general health, say the academics. “The results suggest that physical fitness is perhaps a better indicator of life expectancy than the body mass index (BMI) and that encouraging people to walk quickly can add years to their life,” said Professor Tom Yates, professor of physical activity, sedentary behavior and health at the University of Leicester and lead author of the study, in a statement.

Beyond that, these conclusions confirm the interest of daily physical activity. And brisk walking is a first step in improving your physical condition. So how do you know your walking speed and possibly modify it? Discover our tips for assessing your paceand get started!

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