Walking speed may hint at how long you live

Researchers followed 4,067 adults in the U.K., averaging 69 years old. They measured each person's usual walking pace with a short test and a wrist tracker worn for nine days. During nearly 12 years of follow-up, 739 participants died. The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

Those who walked faster, both in the test and in everyday life, had a lower risk of death. The link held even after researchers accounted for other health and lifestyle factors.

Finding: faster walking lowers death risk

Beth Templin, a geriatric specialist who was not involved in the study, calls walking speed the "sixth vital sign" because it reflects how well many body systems work together. A slowdown can be an early warning, sometimes before anything shows up on a lab test. Walking briskly takes strong legs, a healthy heart and lungs, good balance, and a nervous system that can coordinate it all.

"Build the engine, not just the habit," Templin advised. She recommends strengthening the legs, for example by standing up from a chair without using your hands or doing heel raises while holding onto a counter. Adding short bursts of brisk walking can help too: after warming up, walk briskly for one minute, slow down for two, then repeat, gradually lengthening the fast periods. Simply walking more may not be enough, she said, because speed comes from strength and balance.

The study shows an association, not proof that walking faster adds years. Participants were generally healthier than the wider population, and there is no single standard way to measure everyday walking pace with wrist trackers. More research is needed to see whether the findings apply to other groups.