Walking faster in old age may cut dementia risk in half, study finds

Older adults who walk significantly faster than their peers are about half as likely to develop dementia or other forms of cognitive decline, new research shows. Even when memory and thinking skills do begin to slip, the deterioration progresses more slowly — and the brain region responsible for memory is measurably larger.

According to the Washington Post, which reported the findings Saturday, people who maintain a brisk walking pace well into old age show benefits not only for physical health but for brain health as well.

Researchers at Stony Brook University published the findings in the international journal Neurology. They coined the term "Super Mover" for people in their 80s who walk at speeds typical of someone in their 50s.

The team analyzed gait speed and cognitive function data from roughly 5,000 men and women aged 80 and older, drawn from multiple global databases on elderly health. Some participants also underwent brain MRI scans.

The top 5 to 8 percent of walkers by speed were classified as Super Movers. Most moved at a pace comparable to people 30 to 40 years their junior — octogenarians keeping up with people in their 50s.

Super Movers were more than 48 percent less likely to show cognitive decline over roughly five years of follow-up than other participants. The advantage held even after researchers adjusted for age, sex and some lifestyle factors. When cognitive decline did occur among Super Movers, it progressed more slowly than in other participants.

Structural differences in the brain were also observed. Super Movers had larger hippocampal volumes — the hippocampus being the brain's key memory center — compared with slower walkers, suggesting their brains had somewhat more capacity for memory storage.

Jo Burgess, a neurology professor at Stony Brook University who led the research, said walking is "a complex activity that constantly engages the brain." Walking is far more than moving one's legs: it requires simultaneously processing multiple streams of information — navigating around other people, finding the right path, sensing uneven ground and monitoring vehicles and traffic signals. That continuous cognitive demand may keep the brain persistently stimulated.

Beyond the mental workout, bioactive substances released by muscles during exercise are also known to travel through the bloodstream to the brain, where they help improve nerve cell function.

However, the researchers urged caution against premature conclusions. The study alone cannot establish a causal relationship. Super Movers may have had fewer chronic conditions, better nutrition, superior genetics or more favorable socioeconomic circumstances.

It remains unclear whether walking faster made their brains healthier, or whether healthier brains simply allowed them to walk faster in the first place. The study also could not determine when participants began walking at speed, or whether they had exercised consistently from a younger age.

Even so, the researchers said the core message is clear. "Staying active regardless of age is what matters most," Burgess said. "Walking is the best exercise anyone can start easily."

A marathon or a mountain hike is not required. Burgess advised that people without significant health problems simply try to pick up the pace gradually once their usual walking feels comfortable.