🗝️ Key takeaways:
As we age, the body naturally shifts toward a slower, more stability-focused walking style that is less efficient and more tiring.
Gait speed has been called the “sixth vital sign” of aging, and it may be a significant predictor of lifespan.
Walking speed is modifiable. Balance, mobility, and walking speed can all be improved through repeated and specific movements and practices.
‘Walk faster to live longer’ is the cliff notes version of some rigorous science, yet we tend to slow down with age. Researchers never fully understood why, but a new Australian study offers a nervous system-level explanation that includes tight ankles, a largely subconscious fear of falling, and the body’s preference to stay upright. If that's true, and if speed is linked to longevity, then it could offer a window into how—and why—the brain and body age, and how we can slow it down….one step at a time.
When you're walking with other people, you're usually the person who...
Walking for longevity
Walking is our most natural transportation system, and it also acts on our molecular, skeletal, and cardiovascular systems to bring us closer to our healthiest selves. Decades of research link walking to a longer life, especially when you pick up the pace.
A large 2025 analysis found that at least 15 minutes of fast walking every day is linked to a nearly 20% lower risk of premature death.
Brisk walking gets the heart rate up, relieving stress on the joints. And like most exercise, it dilates blood vessels (relaxes them), improves cholesterol, and lowers cancer risk—even a slower stroll matters for cancer.
Regular exercise can also be one of the easiest ways to manage blood pressure. This longevity biomarker, as Dr. Andrew Freeman put it to CNN, is a “super potent and exponential risk factor” for cardiovascular events.
The irony is that the very thing that may help us live longer is often the thing that our bodies start to do more slowly.
Why aging can slow your stride
As we age, walking can get less springy and more careful. The body seems to favor stability over speed, and that trade-off can change how we move, says Dr. Cody Lindsay, lead author and an expert in sport and exercise technology.
This is what researchers observed:
Harder-working muscles: To stay stable, the body favors shorter strides and slower walking. That can also make you feel more tired.
Co-contracted ankles: Both ankles contract to maintain balance. Ironically, this causes joint stiffness that might increase your fall risk.
Fall recovery risk: Stiffer joints may protect against falls, but when falls do happen, it also increases the risk of not fully recovering.
The cerebellum’s role
Aging can speed up the loss of cerebellum volume, and according to research, cerebellum volume disappears faster than that of any other brain region. Importantly, the cognitive region of the cerebellum is closely tied to gait speed, which can have a direct and significant effect on both walking speed and aging.
Plus, as our brain’s primary balance center, cerebellum loss certainly doesn’t lend itself to more stable walking!
Walking speed as a biomarker of longevity
Tighter ankles and a subconscious fear of falling might be shaping your speed, but walking speed changes can be a longevity biomarker worth noting.
The ‘sixth vital sign,’ changes in gait speed are considered “likely markers of pathology” by some researchers.
The brain is often the catalyst. Researchers consider sudden (and sometimes not-so-sudden) gait changes to be the earliest clinical signs of eventual “full-blown progressive neurological disorder[s].” In studies, gait changes hinted at Parkinson’s disease up to seven years before diagnosis.
Slower gait can also be linked to worse health outcomes and a higher risk of early death in older adults. In the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study, older adults with the most rapid decline in gait speed faced a shocking 90% increased risk of mortality.
Walking basically calls on every muscle and organ, so walking speed can be a survival metric by echoing the many aspects of our internal health.
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Four strategies that might help your stride
“Staying active is one of the most important things people can do, and small, consistent exercises can help you stay confident, mobile, and independent for longer,” says Dr Lindsay.
1. Wake up your ankles: Stiff ankles create shorter strides. Ankle pumps, calf raises, and ankle circles can improve mobility and increase your ability to receive sensory feedback from the ground.
2. Walk with a metronome: One study found that adults who walk with a metronome can increase walking pace, with faster walking being linked to greater cardiovascular benefits.
3. Change the scenery: Different surfaces, gentle hills, trails, and varied walking routes force the brain to adapt and process new information. Consider using poles to increase stability.
4. Train your cerebellum (ie, balance): Good proprioception is key to aging well, and training balance and brain-to-body communication may reduce fall risk and improve gait. Try this: Touch your nose, then alternate to pointing at targets on a wall. Focus on accuracy and smoothness.
Key takeaway
The way you walk isn't just a style choice, but a biomarker of how the body is aging. To move younger, perhaps it’s worth breaking your stride — or at least questioning it.
Our next picks:
Is your brain on the way to burnout? Here’s how to know.
10,000 steps a day is probably just a myth.
One simple exercise shift has been linked to a 19% lower risk of death in a new study.
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Is it safe to take melatonin every night? LIV has the answer.
We asked, you answered:
This question appeared in last week’s “Shake the Almond Milk!” article on calcium.
Which nutrient is hardest for you to get enough of each day?
The results were almost a perfect split between "calcium" and "I don't know." Many readers said they're not confident they're hitting daily calcium targets—a key nutrient for bone health. Just as telling, many were not sure whether they're getting enough protein, fiber, or calcium at all.
If there's a takeaway, it’s that many of us want proper nutrition, but we're still guessing on some of the basics…
Until next time!
Erin
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The information provided about wellness and health is for general informational and educational purposes only. We are not licensed medical professionals, and the content here should not be considered medical advice. Talk to a doctor before trying any of these suggestions.
