People naturally have different walking speeds, some are fast, some are slow. Have you ever noticed if you tend to speed up when walking at your comfortable pace, or do you prefer to take it slow? According to experts, your preferred walking speed can reflect important information about other parts of your body, including how your brain processes information. For example, fast walkers tend to think quicker. So, is this a good thing or a bad thing?
American neuroscientist Kyle Cox mentioned on social media that walking faster than others may indicate that you have a higher “baseline walking speed,” meaning your thinking speed and information processing speed are faster than your peers.
In a video shared by Cox, he referenced a study showing a correlation between natural walking speed and information processing speed and decision-making speed.
Cox stated, “Researchers studying gait and cognition have found a close association between natural walking speed, information processing speed, decision-making speed, and overall life rhythm. People who walk fast tend to think more agilely, make decisions faster, and operate various functions more efficiently.”
He pointed out that fast walkers being slowed down by slower walkers may feel frustrated, not due to impatience but due to mismatched speeds. “You were walking at a certain rhythm, but are forced to move forward at a different pace. It feels like driving behind a car going 25 mph in a 50 mph zone.”
He mentioned that slow walkers often exhibit slower pace in other aspects as well. They are not slow because they are relaxed or leisurely but simply walking at their natural speed.
As for whether it is better to walk fast or slow, Cox mentioned that “there is no superiority between the two.” This does not mean that fast walkers are smarter or that slow walkers are less intelligent. It is only related to thinking speed, not thinking quality.
He noted that the habit of fast walking often accompanies preferences for other fast-paced activities, such as speaking fast, reading fast, eating quickly – almost everything is pursued with speed. Your body’s system has adapted to a rhythm that appears unique in most environments.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a walking speed test can assess a person’s basic functions, evaluating their ability to perform daily activities at home and live independently. It can also unveil a person’s weakness level and predict the recovery outcome after a stroke.
Although it is normal for people’s walking speed to slow down with age, a sudden decrease in speed may indicate more serious health issues.
If you want to conduct a walking speed test, you will need a timer and a tape measure. It is recommended to perform the test in a spacious outdoor area, as you need to measure a distance of 15 meters.
First, walk a distance of 5 meters, which is the walking distance required to reach a normal walking speed. Then walk another 10 meters while starting the timer, this being the distance you are actually timing. To calculate your walking speed, divide 10 meters by the number of seconds it took you to walk that distance.
If you have limited space at home, you can try a short-distance walking speed test. Walk 1 meter accelerating to a normal speed, then calculate the time needed to walk the additional 4 meters at a normal pace. To calculate your speed, divide 4 meters by the number of seconds it took to walk that distance.
The average walking speed you can refer to depends on your gender and age. According to data provided by the BBC, the average walking speed for women aged 40 to 49 is 1.39 meters per second, while men in the same age group walk at a speed of 1.43 meters per second.
For those aged between 50 and 59, women’s average walking speed is 1.31 meters per second, while men maintain a speed of 1.43 meters per second.
For individuals in the 60 to 69 age range, men should still maintain a walking speed of 1.43 meters per second while women’s average speed decreases to 1.24 meters per second.
For people aged 70 to 79, the average walking speed for men drops to 1.26 meters per second, and for women, it decreases to 1.13 meters per second.
Apart from being related to thinking speed, walking speed is also an important predictive indicator of life expectancy for older adults. A study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh on over 34,000 people aged 65 and above showed a significant correlation between walking speed and longevity.
For instance, a 75-year-old man with the slowest walking speed has only a 19% chance of surviving in the next 10 years, while men with faster walking speeds have a survival rate as high as 87%.
One possible explanation is that individuals with poor physical condition often have mobility issues.
Line Rasmussen, a senior researcher in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University, pointed out that walking appears simple but relies on many different body systems working together, including your bones and muscles supporting and propelling you, your eyes helping you see where you are heading, your heart and lungs circulating blood and oxygen, and your brain and nerves coordinating all of this.
Rasmussen mentioned that as people age, the functioning of these systems will start to slow down. Hence, a slower walking speed may reflect this overall decline, indicating signs of aging.