Walking Speed

New research in the British Medical Journal found that people over the age of 70 who maintain walking speeds over two miles per hour have the best chance of eluding death. By comparison, those who can walk only two miles an hour or less had the greatest risk of mortality.
This is not the first study to link gait speed to longevity — how quickly seniors can walk is a great predictor of physical health and ability. However, researchers wanted to find out exactly how fast one needed to move to keep their chances of death at bay. No participants who walked three miles per hour or faster died during the course of the study. The researchers concluded that the Grim Reaper could not keep up with these seniors.
Your best bet for staying healthy and strong is to lace up those sneakers and get out for a walk every day.