An international research led by the University of Sydney, Australia suggests that speeding up your walking pace could extend your life. Walking at an average pace was found to be linked with 20 percent risk reduction for all-cause mortality compared with walking at a slow pace, while walking at a brisk or fast pace was associated with a risk reduction of 24 percent.
A similar result was found for risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, with a reduction of 24 percent walking at an average pace and 21 percent walking at a brisk or fast pace compared to walking at a slow pace.
The University of Sydney study analysed the data of 50,000 walkers to identify the link between a person’s walking pace and their risk to all-cause mortality.
“A fast pace is generally five to seven kms per hour, but it really depends on a walker’s fitness levels; an alternative indicator is to walk at a pace that makes you slightly out of breath or sweaty when sustained,” lead author of the study, Emmanuel Stamatakis, a Professor from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre and School of Public Health, said.
While researchers admit it’s hard to understand how walking directly correlates to decreasing the risk of premature death, Mr Stamatakis believes the study could help raise people’s awareness to increase their walking speed.
“Walking pace is associated with all-cause mortality risk, but its specific role, independent from the total physical activity a person undertakes, has received little attention until now,” he said.
“Assuming our results reflect cause and effect, these analyses suggest that increasing walking pace may be a straightforward way for people to improve heart health and risk for premature mortality, providing a simple message for public health campaigns to promote.”
In spite of the findings, however, there was no evidence to suggest that walking pace had a significant influence on cancer mortality rates.
