Maryland doctor explains how walking pace has stronger link to healthy ageing than simple step counts

New research has linked brisk walking pace to low biological age. shares Dr Sood, while cautioning that it is not a magic pill to reverse ageing.

When it comes to ageing well, the importance of regular movement cannot be understated. Walking happens to be a particularly effective way for the body to experience movement, as it requires minimal effort and has tremendous health benefits.

Walking pace offers additional health benefits, shares Dr Sood. (Unsplash)

Meeting a target step count every day is a common concept among fitness enthusiasts of all ages. However, taking to Instagram on January 31, Dr Kunal Sood, a Maryland-based physician in Anesthesiology and Interventional Pain Medicine, shared that the benefits might be linked not just to the number of steps walked, but also the pace.

Benefit of brisk walking

While most people think healthy ageing is just about hitting a daily step count, new research suggests that it is not that simple, shared Dr Sood.

“In a large UK Biobank study of more than 400,000 adults, researchers looked at walking pace and leukocyte telomere length, a commonly used marker of biological ageing,” he stated.

“Telomeres shorten as cells age. People who consistently reported brisk walking have significantly longer telomeres than slow walkers, corresponding to a biological age difference of up to about sixteen years.”

The research does not suggest in any way that walking magically reverses ageing, cautioned Dr Sood. What it reflects is the long-term differences in cellular ageing associated with habitual movement patterns.

Upon analysing the data, the difference in outcome as a result of the intensity of walking prominently stood out. “Even after accounting for total physical activity, bodyweight, and other lifestyle factors, walking speed remained strongly linked to telomere length,” shared the doctor.

The claim that higher intensity movements matter more than total volume alone was also supported by objective accelerometer data.

Takeaway of the research

While explaining the benefit of brisk walking, Dr Sood highlighted that this should not discourage one from walking slowly at all. However, whenever possible, adding periods of brisk walking may provide additional ageing-related benefits beyond step-count alone.

Any movement is beneficial. Walking pace may just be a marker of how well multiple systems age together, such as the cardiovascular system, muscle strength, and metabolic health.