Quick-going people die later

How does our walking pace affect your health??

If you are one of those people who normally walk relatively quickly, it could have a positive impact on their long-term health. Researchers now found that faster walking reduces the risk of premature death.

The researchers at the University of Sydney found in their recent research that walking faster promotes long-term health and can prevent premature death. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "British Journal of Sports Medicine".

Especially for older people, it is advantageous to move a lot. Often hiking is useful for those affected. Experts found that the speed of walking or walking has a strong impact on our health. (Image: Monkey Business / fotolia.com)

Our walking pace is individual

Every person has an individual walking pace. Some people walk very slowly, others march as fast as their feet allow. The quicker people have the advantage that they have a lower risk of premature death, say the experts.

Study had more than 50,000 subjects

Overall, data from more than 50,000 pedestrians and walkers were analyzed for the study. It was examined how fast the individual participants normally walked on foot. Thereafter, the doctors looked at the health of the subjects. The results were reviewed to ensure that they were not due to poor health or other habits such as smoking and exercise. The scientists found that running at slow speeds above all reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as coronary heart disease or stroke.

How did the walking speed work out??

Compared with slow-moving individuals, people walking at average speed had a 20 percent lower risk of general premature death. The risk of heart disease and a stroke to die was reduced by 24 percent in this person. When participants reported that they were quick and swift, they had a 24 percent reduced risk of dying prematurely. These individuals also had a 21 percent lower risk of cardiovascular death.

Older people benefit greatly from a faster walking pace

The positive effects of fast walking in older age groups were more pronounced. For example, people moving at average speed experienced a 46 percent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular death by the age of 60 or older. If people go faster at this age, the risk is even reduced by 53 percent, the scientists report. In these older age groups, a linearly higher reduction in the risk of early death was also found, depending on the speed of walking. The results suggest that normal or fast walking is beneficial for long-term health and longevity, compared to a slow walking pace. This advantage is especially strong for older people.

It was an observational study

However, the investigation was only a so-called observational study. In addition, probably not all possible influences were taken into account. For example, unhealthy people may be walking at a slow pace as a result of their poor health. The state of health could also be the reason why those affected die prematurely, the researchers explain. Another important point is that the study participants themselves set their usual tempo, which means that the study refers to the perceived tempo. For this reason, the results could be interpreted as reflecting the perceived intensity of walking in relation to its own physical capacity. This would mean that the higher the perceived physical effort when walking, the better your health, the scientists explain.

Hiking improves your health

Hiking is a great health improvement activity that can easily be done by most people of all ages. The current results suggest that when walking or walking, a pace should be achieved that requires physiology. (As)