We are all in favor of movement here at HT100, though in truth our movement lately has been largely to the refrigerator and back. We have consoled ourselves with the notion that all movement is good, but new research from University of Chicago Medicine suggests that not all movement is created equal.
The new study, published in PLOS One, found that walking at a modestly increased speed helps improve physical function in older adults who are frail or at a high risk for frailty. Researchers tested 102 frail or prefrail adults over the age of 60 who lived in a Chicago-area retirement community. Participants were randomly assigned to either a casual walking group, or a higher intensity walking group. The study found that the older adults who walked slightly faster than the casual walking group - 14 steps more per minute to be exact - experienced benefits and improvements in their physical function. Daniel Rubin, the lead researcher on the project, concluded that “[t]o get the most health benefits, walking should be done with enough intensity — and walking faster is one way to increase that intensity.”
You don’t need to tell us twice to walk faster to the refrigerator: it’s better for our physical functioning and we get to the food quicker.
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