
The results are significant because while prior research has shown a link between a brisk walking pace and fewer markers of aging, this new study suggests that walking quickly is the cause of the benefits. Furthermore, the benefits seemed to be linked to the intensity of the activity, rather than the total number of steps or walking duration. People with a habitually faster walking pace (more than three miles an hour) were found to have longer telomeres, on average, than their slower-walking peers, according to the data. Thomas Yates, the study’s lead author, said, “You can ask people what they eat, you can ask people how active they are, how much they sleep, all those other lifestyle factors and behaviors, and none of those come anywhere close to being as important as walking pace.” The research team also adjusted for many different dietary and health-related factors, including health conditions, smoking, drinking alcohol, salt intake, and fruit and vegetable consumption.īut it would seem that a brisk walking pace provides a HUGE boost to your overall health. The study utilized a large sample size from a reliable source, making the results very strong. The researchers found that people who regularly enjoyed brisk walking were more likely to have longer telomeres. Previous research has suggested that higher levels of physical activity and cardiovascular fitness could be linked to longer telomeres, and potentially slower biological aging. These shorter telomeres are linked to the signs of aging as well as age-related illnesses like cancer. As we age, telomeres become shorter, like a candle slowly burning down. Telomeres are the tail ends of chromosomes, or strands of our DNA, and provide stability as cells divide over time.

They compared the typical self-reported walking pace of participants with signs of biological aging by measuring a key marker of cellular health called telomeres. Well, several steps… What the Research SaysĪccording to a new study from the University of Leicester and Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, brisk walking can reduce the signs of aging by up to 16 years! looked at genetic data from 405,981 middle-aged UK residents, averaging in their mid 50s.
