Want to stay strong in your golden years? It might be time to put some extra hustle in your shuffle.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have found that simply picking up the pace a bit when walking can significantly enhance physical capabilities in older adults who are frail or nearing frailty.
This is an important finding, as frailty can lead to an elevated risk of falls, injuries, hospital stays, loss of independence, and even mortality. While aging is a natural process, becoming frail isn’t unavoidable, especially when the elderly take proactive measures.
Current research estimates that 4% to 16% of Americans over the age of 65 are already frail, while up to 44% are considered “prefrail.”
“People who haven’t experienced frailty can’t imagine how big a difference it makes to be able to not get tired going to the grocery store or not need to sit down while they’re out,” Dr. Daniel Rubin, the study’s lead author, said in a statement.
Walking — the original low-impact workout — has long been touted as a powerful way for older adults to stay healthy, mobile and independent.
But Rubin and his colleagues wanted to dig deeper: how fast do you really need to move to make it count? So they hit the ground walking.
The team recruited 102 seniors with average age of nearly 79 from 14 retirement communities. Around 80% were women, and all showed signs of frailty or pre-frailty.
Participants were split into two groups. Both walked three times a week for 45 minutes, with warm-ups and cool-downs included.
One group took it easy at a “relaxed and comfortable” pace. The other was told to walk “as fast as they safely could.”
After four months, researchers found that the faster-footed group had picked up their cadence to about 100 steps per minute. The slower group cruised at around 77.
Those in the fast-walking group also outperformed their slow-and-steady peers on a six-minute walking test — widely used to gauge overall physical function and independence in older adults.
For frail seniors, walking 30 meters farther in six minutes is a sign of real-world improvements in their ability to complete daily activities.
About 65% of the fast walkers hit that benchmark. Only 39% of the casual walkers did the same.
And it didn’t take a dramatic change to make a difference. Upon further analysis, researchers found that those who increased their walking pace by just 14 steps per minute from their usual rhythm had the best odds of improvement.
“Even casual walking had positive effects on our study participants,” Rubin said. However, he noted that increasing walking speed by 14 steps per minute can yield even greater results for those who are able.
The hidden dangers of frailty
Frailty isn’t just about feeling tired or moving slower — it’s a clinical syndrome that makes it more difficult for your body to get through and recover from injuries, illness and everyday stressors on its own.
If you check off at least three of these warning signs, Johns Hopkins Medicine says you may be considered frail:
- You’ve lost 10 or more pounds in the last year without trying
- You have trouble standing up without assistance or a weak grip
- You’re exhausted, feeling like even simple tasks take twice the effort
- You have low activity levels, whether it’s exercise, hobbies or even household chores
- You have a slow walking speed, typically taking more than six or seven seconds to walk 15 feet
Fortunately, frailty is considered a modifiable condition. With appropriate interventions — including regular physical activity, proper nutrition, and management of underlying health issues — experts say frailty can often be delayed, prevented or even reversed.
Walk this way
Want to step up your health? Start by measuring your walking cadence — that’s the number of steps you take per minute. This will give you a baseline to build from.
“Once you find your comfortable pace, you can then add five to 10 steps per minute and match the pace to increase your walking cadence,” Rubin told BBC Science Focus.
He recommends aiming to walk 10 to 15 steps faster per minute — as long as it feels safe and manageable.
To help maintain a steady rhythm, Rubin suggests using a metronome app, which can help you match your steps to a consistent beat.
“Hopefully, older adults will use this as a practical way to guide their walking intensity so they can live longer and continue to do the things that they want to do,” he said.
