Be careful slow walkers! Your walking habits can increase your chances of getting sick later in life

We all have different walking styles, which is part of who we are. Some are quick walkers, while others like to walk around absorbing everything around them. Some drag their feet while walking and then there are people with strong footsteps. How you walk depends on you and your daily activity. But if you are one of those people who walk slowly and take small steps most of the time, you are more likely to get sick later in life.

Why slow walkers are more prone to get sick
Slow walking not only means that you will reach your destination later, but it could also seriously damage your health. Several studies conducted to assess how well people walk show that slow walking can be harmful to a person in more than one way.

According to the researchers, your walking speed could predict your chances of contracting diseases like Alzheimer’s disease decades before symptoms actually develop.

Studies show that the brains and bodies of slower 45-year-old walkers age faster than others. Their immune health, lungs and teeth are all in worse shape than those who normally walk faster. In addition, these people also had a smaller total brain volume, less brain area, and more small brain damage.

The study published in the journal Jama Network Open found that researchers could easily gauge how fast a person would walk in middle age by examining their brain when they were only three years old.

They are also more likely to die from heart disease
Slow walkers are three times more likely to die from heart disease and related causes, according to researchers at the Paris-based medical research institute Inserm. The results of the study show that slow walkers are 2.9 times more likely to die of heart attack, stroke and related causes compared to those who walk fast. This was common for both men and women. These results focused entirely on a person’s walking speed, not their age or level of physical activity. The main reasons behind this could be the increased risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. Scientists have yet to conclude anything about what increases the risk of heart problems in slow walkers.

The bottom

Several studies have been conducted in the past that have linked slow walking to an increased risk of death. The main message of these studies is that people should put their health first at every stage of life. They should be more active and get more physical activity to stay healthy and live long.