Well, this is interesting.
Researchers have found that fast walkers live longer than slow walkers.
The findings were
published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
The study found that brisk walkers hit speeds of 3mph, which averages about 100 steps a minute.
Slow walkers, on the other hand, walk between 1 mph and 2 mph, just 50 steps a minute.
This study researched the movements of over 400,000 people, and found that fast walkers have a longer life expectancy.
Interestingly, the findings are unrelated to weight.
Speaking about the research, lead author of the study, Tom Yates, of the University of Leicester, said:
"The findings suggest that perhaps physical fitness is a better indicator of life expectancy than body mass index."
"Encouraging the population to engage in brisk walking may add years to their lives."
The research data came from people with the average age of 52 in the UK between 2006 and 2016.
Women who walked quickly had a life expectancy of 86.7 to 87.8 years old, while fast men had a life expectancy of 85.2 to 86.8.
Slow walkers, on the other hand, had a life expectancy of 72.4 for women and 64.8 for men.
That is a pretty massive different, all for the sake of a few steps every minute.
However interesting these findings are, don't get overly concerned.
The report proves a correlation, not a cause-and-effect.
This means that there's no confirmation that walking faster will actually make you live longer, but it does provide another way for doctors to measure your general health.
There you go now.
