A study in JAMA Network Open followed 4,067 U.K. adults, about 69 years old on average, for nearly 12 years. Faster clinical walking speed was linked to a 23% lower risk of death, and higher walking cadences to 17% and 18% lower risks.
A study published in JAMA Network Open followed 4,067 adults in the U.K., about 69 years old on average, to see whether their usual walking pace was linked to their risk of death over time. It found that faster walking speed and more steps per minute are both associated with a lower risk of dying from any cause. The work drew on the Whitehall II accelerometer substudy and followed participants from January 2012 through August 2024.
How walking was measured
Participants completed a short walking test at their normal pace and also wore a wrist activity tracker for nine days to capture walking speed in everyday life. Clinical speed was measured by walking a marked 2.44-meter course at normal pace three times, with the speed averaged in meters per second. Free-living cadence came from a wrist-worn GENEActiv accelerometer, which produced median walking cadence and 95th-percentile, or brisk, walking cadence. Average clinical walking speed was 1.2 meters per second, median daily cadence was about 75 steps per minute, and brisk daily cadence was about 112 steps per minute.
Findings on risk of death
During a median follow-up of nearly 12 years, 739 participants died. Faster walking in both settings was linked to a lower risk of death, even after researchers accounted for other health and lifestyle factors. After adjusting for variables such as age, sex, lifestyle habits, body mass index and chronic conditions, each standard increase in clinical walking speed was associated with a 23% lower risk of death. Higher median and brisk daily walking cadences were associated with 17% and 18% lower risks of death, respectively.
The study found only a weak correlation between clinical walking speed and free-living cadence, though both were independently associated with lower risk of death. Clinical and wearable measures gave similar predictive accuracy for men and women, and combining them offered a slight boost in predictive power.
Expert advice
Experts caution that forcing yourself to walk faster will not automatically extend life, since people who naturally walk faster usually have better baseline fitness. Dr. Theodore Strange of Northwell Staten Island University Hospital advised that people don't necessarily need 10,000 daily steps, suggesting building up to 7,000 to 8,000 a day. Recent research indicates that 7,000 to 8,000 daily steps offers substantial health benefits. Strange advised people wanting to walk faster to start at a comfortable speed and gradually increase steps per minute over time.
