A better walking cadence can help you live longer!

[marylander1940]

I am am amazed it took a study to tell us something so obvious!

 

https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/16/health/walking-cadence-mobility-speed-endurance-wellness

Edited July 17 by marylander1940

[samhexum]

If only...

[+ sniper]

It is not clear at all from the article whether they had people walk faster and observed a change/improvement, or measured everyone's walking cadence and observed their condition. The latter would just me a "water is wet" study.

Edited July 18 by sniper

[SirBillybob]

The high-intensity subgroup intervention to walk faster than at baseline casual speed (as fast as you can safely) during three 30-minute sessions weekly over 4 months yielded walking a longer 6-minute distance at follow-up compared to the control subgroup that continuously followed the prompt to walk at casual speed (relaxed and comfortable pace) with equivalency in sessions. Functional improvement was solely measured by that final distance outcome. As the 6-minute walking distance test was not accompanied by instructions to maximize cadence and distance, as it is self-paced and known to reflect sub-maximal functional capacity, it may be that the difference in distance, on average about 20% farther distance for the high-intensity subjects, was at least partly as a result of having simply been primed to increase cadence and not necessarily having attaining some overall functioning improvement by having been trained to walk faster. None of a few other functional capacity measures taken at baseline were compared at follow up. 

Edited July 18 by SirBillybob

[+ PhileasFogg]

I’m with @sniper   But I will also note that a few years ago, I needed to relearn how to walk. My form placed by body weight on the opposite side as my weight bearing leg causing pain in my knees that was starting to impact my distance and speed.

what I do now I call my “Stayin’ Alive Walk” because, when exaggerated, it resembles John Travolta. 

[SirBillybob]

Correction 4th last line: … not necessarily having attained …