Brisk Walking could Reduce Your Biological Aging

We have known for some time that walking speed and the length of your stride a related to overall health and longevity. The image of an older adult, hunched over and shuffle stepping is highly associated with ill health and morbidity. But now we know the way we walk, even in middle age, is a sign of biological aging.

A recent study of over 400,000 people in the UK revealed a direct link between walking speed and telomere lengths. Middle-aged brisk walkers had telomere lengths equivalent to people 16 years younger.

So what are telomeres and how are they linked to biological aging?

Telomeres are like caps at the ends of your chromosomes. They protect the chromosomes from damage. On average, they get shorter as you get older. We know that the cells that make up our bodies are constantly dying and being replaced by new cell ready to support the functions of living. Our DNA is the roadmap for cell replication. Chromosomes are a key part of our DNA and the shortening of telomeres is a signal that all is not well in the cell division and growth and is referred to as senescence. Two things happen. New healthy cells do not replace old cells and the old “senescent cells” clutter up the organ or system they are in and put an additional burden on the immune system.

Elizabeth Blackburn and Carol Greider won the Nobel Prize for uncovering the relationship between telomere length and aging and cell senescence. Here is where the term biological age comes into the picture. Two people of the same chronological age can have very different telomere lengths. The person with the longer telomere length is younger from a biological perspective and studies show they are likely to have a longer life.

If is well established that a host of lifestyle factors are associated with telomere length. Habitual BRISK WALKING is one of these factors.

This study did not address the question of whether ramping up or maintaining your walking pace who protect your telomeres. However, numerous other studies have shown that declines in stride length and walking speed are predictors of early morbidity.

The takeaway - get out there and walk and walk briskly. If some physical condition prevents you from walking or walking briskly, get on an Exercycle or some other form of exercise.