Also, the study was based on review and analysis of previous research that looked at walking speed, sex, age, body mass index, medical history and survival rate for almost 34,500 people.
Of course, we all know that exercise of any kind leads to better overall health, and so this isn't that big a surprise. But what's interesting is that their findings show that those who walked 1 meter per second (about 2.25 mph) or faster consistently lived longer than others of their age and sex who walked more slowly.
Dr. Stephanie Studenski, study researcher at the University of Pittsburgh, said, "We're able to show that a person's capacity to move strongly reflects vitality and health."
The researches were quick to point out that the purpose of the study was not to get people walking faster as a means for life extension. It's more about using walking speed as a metric for gauging the health level of their patients. It's just another metric to be used to gauge overall health just like blood pressure,
Quote: "Pass it on: Older adults who walk faster than 1 meter per second may live longer than those who walk more slowly."
Sources: MSNBC.com, FitnessArmory.com
