'In this study we used information contained in people's genetic profile to show that a faster walking pace is indeed likely to lead to a younger biological age as measured by telomeres,' Tom Yates, senior author of the study and professor at the University of Leicester said in a press release. The results are significant because while prior research has shown a link between a brisk walking pace and fewer markers of aging, the most recent study suggests walking quickly is the cause of the benefits, according to researchers. Furthermore, the benefits seemed to be linked to the intensity of the activity, rather than the total number of steps or walking duration. Picking up the pace from time to time makes the difference. It can be in small bursts throughout your day.

By boosting your blood flow, brisk walking can improve the health of your. People with a habitually faster walking pace (more than three miles an hour) were found to have longer telomeres, on average, than their slower-walking peers, according to the data. Worth noting: The brisk walking doesn't have to be in one 30-minute chunk, study author Matthew Ahmadi, a research fellow at the University of Sydney, told the New York Times. Walking at a brisk pace, even for just 10 minutes at a time, can benefit your health and well-being in a multitude of ways. As we age, telomeres become shorter, like a candle burning down - shorter telomeres are linked to age-related illnesses such as cancer. Telomeres are the tail ends of chromosomes, or strands of our DNA, and provide stability as cells divide over time. A brisk walking pace can range from 13 to 20 minutes per mile, or from 3.0 mph to 4.5 mph. They compared the typical self-reported walking pace of participants with signs of biological aging by measuring a key marker of cellular health called telomeres. Keeping fit is the key to reducing your risk of dementia, a study found Credit: Getty. Keeping fit into middle age might be the key to staving off Alzheimers. To get the most out of walking, it is recommended to walk at a ‘brisk pace’ which classes as a moderate-intensity workout. Researchers from the University of Leicester and Leicester Biomedical Research Centre looked at genetic data from 405,981 middle-aged UK residents, averaging in their mid 50s. A BRISK walk each day could slash your risk of developing dementia by a third, a new study has claimed.

Brisk walking pace