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Medical News Today
18 minutes ago
- Health
- Medical News Today
Boosting your walking pace by 14 steps per minute could fight frailty
As much as 24% of the global older adult population faces issues related to frailty. Past studies have shown that frailty can heighten a person's chance of developing cognitive impairment and dementia, and can also increase their fall risk.A new study has found that walking at a slightly faster speed than a person's normal pace may help improve physical function in older adults who are frail or at a high risk for frailty. Researchers have developed and tested a smartphone app designed to accurately measure walking pace, which can make it easier for older adults to increase their estimate that as much as 24% of the world's older adult population faces issues that are related to frailty — a medical condition that can increase a person's risk for functional studies show that frailty can heighten a person's risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, as well as their fall risk. 'Falls and frailty are major threats to healthy aging,' Daniel Rubin, MD, associate professor in the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care at the University of Chicago Medical Center told Medical News Today.'Falls are the leading cause of injury in older adults, with one in four experiencing a fall each year. Frailty increases vulnerability to stressors and is linked to hospitalizations, loss of independence, falls, and even death,' Rubin is the lead author of a new study recently published in the journal PLOS One, which found that walking at a slightly faster speed than a person's normal pace may help improve physical function in older adults who are frail or at a high risk for frailty. Researchers have also developed and tested a smartphone app designed to accurately measure walking pace, which can make it easier for older adults to increase their slightly faster improves physical function in older adultsFor this study, researchers recruited 102 older adults ages 60 and older who were permanent residents in a retirement community, and were considered prefrail or participants were randomly assigned to one of two walking groups — a casual speed walking group and a high-intensity walking group. 'Walking is the most common form of exercise among older adults — it's accessible, low-cost, and adaptable to many fitness levels,' Rubin said. 'To get the most health benefits, walking should be done with enough intensity — and walking faster is one way to increase that intensity.''We wanted to see whether even frail or prefrail older adults could safely and meaningfully increase their walking speed and whether that would lead to superior improvements in physical function,' the researcher told the study's conclusion, scientists found that prefrail and frail study participants who walked slightly fast — about 14 steps per minute more than their usual pace — experienced meaningful improvements in their physical function.'This is a key finding because it shows that even modest increases in walking intensity can lead to meaningful improvements in physical function, even among frail or prefrail older adults,' Rubin explained. 'The 14-step threshold is important because it gives a clear target for older adults to increase their intensity.' 'One of the challenges of prescribing walking is to convey to the patients how much intensity they should walk,' he continued. 'Oftentimes there is the talk test, or they should walk a certain speed — 3-4 mph (miles per hour). Those are difficult for older adults to guide themselves. Here, we provide them with an objective measure that they can increase the number of steps/min that they walk to increase their intensity.'New smartphone app to accurately measure walking cadenceIn a second study published in the journal Digital Biomarkers, Rubin and his team spotlighted a clinical trial they conducted on a smartphone app they created called Walk Test, designed specifically to measure accurate walking cadence. 'We didn't necessarily trust smartphones' built-in analytics,' Rubin said in a press release. 'Instead, we built an app that uses a novel open-source method to analyze the data measured by the phone and lets us actively engage users in brief, deliberate walking tests, ensuring accurate measurement.''We wanted to make it as low-barrier as possible so it's easy for older adults to use without additional equipment. The people who need the most help are usually the least well-equipped to get started.'– Daniel Rubin, MDWhile the Walk Test app is not yet available to the public, Rubin told MNT they plan to make it publicly accessible once they secure additional funding to further develop and scale the more strategy for better fitness as we ageMNT had the opportunity to speak with Jonathan Bean, MD, MPH, a professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital at Mass General Brigham, about this study. 'I viewed [this study] as informative regarding an established principle of exercise training for frail older adults, that being […] if you have individuals train an important physiologic quality at a level that approaches their maximal potential, that their physiologic potential will expand,' Bean, who was not involved in this research, told to him:'It is very informative for clinicians identifying the potential benefit of having individuals walk at a brisker pace as a means of optimizing walking. It may be an additional mode of training that should be added to other existing training modes that optimize mobility skills.' 'Frailty is an important concept in the care of aging adults,' he continued. 'It is a state reflective of a decreased capacity to recover from a significant medical event, such as a surgery, hospitalization or medical illness. It is an important early warning sign of individuals at risk for experiencing future adverse medical events, developing future disability and death over the next one to five years.''Longevity starts now'MNT also spoke to Bert Mandelbaum, MD, a sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics in Los Angeles, about this research. 'There's a lot of information now which basically looks at the details of exercise as a robust therapeutic intervention,' Mandelbaum, who was not involved in the study, said.'And as we learn more, there's a very linear approach — a little exercise is better than no exercise, more exercise is better than less exercise, and optimal exercise is better than more exercise,' he added.'So the more we learn this, the more we learn that when you exercise more, you have greater bone density, greater density of cartilage, better balance, better mentation, better memory, [and] better motor coordination,' explained Mandelbaum. 'And so a system that really has a higher level of training, that would be my expectation to see.' 'I have a great expression — longevity starts now. And the great thing about the plasticity of our bodies, whether you're 50, 60, 80, 90, the answer is at any time, once you start to exercise, you get those benefits. Now, if you're 89 years old, you are going to get benefits, but they're not going to be as good and as incremental as if it were starting when you were 50. But the body is extraordinarily plastic […] so whatever point you start, it's going to impact longevity in a positive way.' – Bert Mandelbaum, MD
New York Post
3 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Walking just this many steps more per minute can help you age much better
Want to stay strong in your golden years? It might be time to put some extra hustle in your shuffle. A new study from the University of Chicago suggests that walking just a little bit faster can dramatically improve physical function in older adults who are frail or at risk of becoming frail. That's no small thing. Frailty increases the risk of falls, injuries, hospitalizations, loss of independence and even death. And while aging is inevitable, frailty doesn't have to be — especially if seniors take the right steps. Advertisement 4 Walking is a highly beneficial form of exercise for older adults, giving both mental and physical health a boost. N F/ – Studies estimate that between 4% and 16% of Americans aged 65 and older are already considered frail — and as many as 44% fall into the 'prefrail' category. 'People who haven't experienced frailty can't imagine how big a difference it makes to be able to not get tired going to the grocery store or not need to sit down while they're out,' Dr. Daniel Rubin, the study's lead author, said in a statement. Advertisement Walking — the original low-impact workout — has long been touted as a powerful way for older adults to stay healthy, mobile and independent. But Rubin and his colleagues wanted to dig deeper: how fast do you really need to move to make it count? So they hit the ground walking. 4 Frailty can lead to a decline in physical function, increasing the risk of developing disabilities and limitations in daily living activities. Pormezz – The team recruited 102 seniors with average age of nearly 79 from 14 retirement communities. Around 80% were women, and all showed signs of frailty or pre-frailty. Advertisement Participants were split into two groups. Both walked three times a week for 45 minutes, with warm-ups and cool-downs included. One group took it easy at a 'relaxed and comfortable' pace. The other was told to walk 'as fast as they safely could.' After four months, researchers found that the faster-footed group had picked up their cadence to about 100 steps per minute. The slower group cruised at around 77. Advertisement Those in the fast-walking group also outperformed their slow-and-steady peers on a six-minute walking test — widely used to gauge overall physical function and independence in older adults. For frail seniors, walking 30 meters farther in six minutes is a sign of real-world improvements in their ability to complete daily activities. 4 Increasing your walking pace by 14 steps per minute can keep frailty at bay, researchers found. buritora – About 65% of the fast walkers hit that benchmark. Only 39% of the casual walkers did the same. And it didn't take a dramatic change to make a difference. Upon further analysis, researchers found that those who increased their walking pace by just 14 steps per minute from their usual rhythm had the best odds of improvement. 'Even casual walking had positive effects on our study participants,' Rubin said. However, he noted that increasing walking speed by 14 steps per minute can yield even greater results for those who are able. The hidden dangers of frailty Frailty isn't just about feeling tired or moving slower — it's a clinical syndrome that makes it more difficult for your body to get through and recover from injuries, illness and everyday stressors on its own. Advertisement 4 Frailty is a major contributor to falls, which can lead to serious injuries like hip fractures. Halfpoint – If you check off at least three of these warning signs, Johns Hopkins Medicine says you may be considered frail: You've lost 10 or more pounds in the last year without trying You have trouble standing up without assistance or a weak grip You're exhausted, feeling like even simple tasks take twice the effort You have low activity levels, whether it's exercise, hobbies or even household chores You have a slow walking speed, typically taking more than six or seven seconds to walk 15 feet Advertisement Fortunately, frailty is considered a modifiable condition. With appropriate interventions — including regular physical activity, proper nutrition, and management of underlying health issues — experts say frailty can often be delayed, prevented or even reversed. Walk this way Want to step up your health? Start by measuring your walking cadence — that's the number of steps you take per minute. This will give you a baseline to build from. 'Once you find your comfortable pace, you can then add five to 10 steps per minute and match the pace to increase your walking cadence,' Rubin told BBC Science Focus. He recommends aiming to walk 10 to 15 steps faster per minute — as long as it feels safe and manageable. Advertisement To help maintain a steady rhythm, Rubin suggests using a metronome app, which can help you match your steps to a consistent beat. 'Hopefully, older adults will use this as a practical way to guide their walking intensity so they can live longer and continue to do the things that they want to do,' he said.
CNN
6 days ago
- Health
- CNN
Increasing your walking cadence can improve mobility
Are you not as strong and physically capable as you would like? Around 7% to 12% of Americans 65 and older are considered frail. That's when at least three of the following symptoms are true, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine: unintentional weight loss, reduced strength, exhaustion, low activity levels and a slow pace. Frailty often makes it difficult for older adults to complete day-to-day tasks. But there may be something they can do about it. Increasing a person's walking cadence by 14 steps per minute was associated with a 10% increase in functional capacity in prefrail and frail older adults, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One. Prefrailty is the period before frailty, where older adults may experience higher risk of physical impairment, cognitive decline, nutritional deficiencies and socioeconomic disadvantages. 'What we ended up finding was that those who are able to walk faster, particularly at a cadence 14 steps per minute faster than their usual pace, were more likely to improve in their mobility or endurance or function,' said Dr. Daniel Rubin, the study's lead author. 'In particular, we were targeting to try to really improve (people's) mobility and their function, just because prefrail and frail older adults tend to be a little bit more limited, at least in the concept of physical frailty,' added Rubin, associate professor of anesthesia and critical care at the University of Chicago. The study was a secondary data analysis of a primary trial that looked at walking intervention in retirement communities and took place over a span of 36 weeks. Whether or not an older adult is frail, mobility is still an important part of healthy aging. By practicing easy strength-training moves, such as walking, you can improve your strength and combat frailty, experts say. Individuals who regularly incorporate walking exercises in their routines also experience longevity, which is living longer and better lives. Active older adults were 28% less likely to become disabled and were able to perform day-to-day tasks with little to no assistance, according to a 2020 study. Other benefits include maintenance of healthy weight, reduced high blood pressure, decreased risk for type 2 diabetes and a stronger musculoskeletal system. 'Walking has been associated with the same type of health outcomes as exercise activities (e.g., risk of mortality, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, improved cognitive ageing),' said Rayane Haddadj, a doctoral candidate in the department of public health and nursing at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, in an email. He was not associated with the study. 'Advantages of walking are that it is a simple, low cost, and accessible activity that can be promoted widely to reduce the burden of various diseases and conditions,' he added. Increasing your walking pace can lower the risk of heart rhythm abnormalities, such as atrial fibrillation, and walking for longer periods of time can have health benefits, such as reducing back pain. 'Even small increases in daily activity can make a difference. Walking more could therefore be a simple yet powerful way to reduce risk of chronic low back pain and other diseases,' Haddadj said. 'I think one of the hardest parts when you're giving public health advice, when you're talking about walking, in particular, is what pace to walk at,' Rubin said. Previous methods used to help older adults follow a moderate intensity walking pace, such as the talk test or tracking heart rate, can be subjective and difficult to track pace or cadence accurately. 'The easiest way is, actually, you can use a metronome on your phone,' Rubin said. 'It's called rhythmic auditory cueing.' To do this, start by walking at your normal pace for 30 minutes and time it with the metronome. Once you've established a rhythm, you can gradually increase your pace by five or 10 steps per minute. 'Some people use music to do that. Music is actually a little harder, unless you have a trained ear to really be able to identify the beat,' Rubin said. While keeping this pace, older adults could also benefit from practicing conscious breathing, such as breathing through their nose, said CNN fitness contributor Dana Santas, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports. Nasal breathing, which is when you inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, can help lower blood pressure and improve heart rate variability, according to a 2023 study. Doing so can help prevent development of hypertension. It's also important that you maintain good form while walking, such as standing tall and swinging your arms. It will prevent backaches, make it easy to breathe and keep you balanced. 'Walking is a full body movement. It is not just about your lower body. It's not just one step in front of the one foot in front of the other,' Santas said. 'Your arm swing is a huge part involved in the mechanics of walking. So, you want to have an arm swing that's coordinated with your foot movement, so it's opposing.' Sign up for CNN's Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.
CNN
6 days ago
- Health
- CNN
Increasing your walking cadence can improve mobility
FacebookTweetLink Are you not as strong and physically capable as you would like? Around 7% to 12% of Americans 65 and older are considered frail. That's when at least three of the following symptoms are true, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine: unintentional weight loss, reduced strength, exhaustion, low activity levels and a slow pace. Frailty often makes it difficult for older adults to complete day-to-day tasks. But there may be something they can do about it. Increasing a person's walking cadence by 14 steps per minute was associated with a 10% increase in functional capacity in prefrail and frail older adults, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One. Prefrailty is the period before frailty, where older adults may experience higher risk of physical impairment, cognitive decline, nutritional deficiencies and socioeconomic disadvantages. 'What we ended up finding was that those who are able to walk faster, particularly at a cadence 14 steps per minute faster than their usual pace, were more likely to improve in their mobility or endurance or function,' said Dr. Daniel Rubin, the study's lead author. 'In particular, we were targeting to try to really improve (people's) mobility and their function, just because prefrail and frail older adults tend to be a little bit more limited, at least in the concept of physical frailty,' added Rubin, associate professor of anesthesia and critical care at the University of Chicago. The study was a secondary data analysis of a primary trial that looked at walking intervention in retirement communities and took place over a span of 36 weeks. Whether or not an older adult is frail, mobility is still an important part of healthy aging. By practicing easy strength-training moves, such as walking, you can improve your strength and combat frailty, experts say. Individuals who regularly incorporate walking exercises in their routines also experience longevity, which is living longer and better lives. Active older adults were 28% less likely to become disabled and were able to perform day-to-day tasks with little to no assistance, according to a 2020 study. Other benefits include maintenance of healthy weight, reduced high blood pressure, decreased risk for type 2 diabetes and a stronger musculoskeletal system. 'Walking has been associated with the same type of health outcomes as exercise activities (e.g., risk of mortality, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, improved cognitive ageing),' said Rayane Haddadj, a doctoral candidate in the department of public health and nursing at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, in an email. He was not associated with the study. 'Advantages of walking are that it is a simple, low cost, and accessible activity that can be promoted widely to reduce the burden of various diseases and conditions,' he added. Increasing your walking pace can lower the risk of heart rhythm abnormalities, such as atrial fibrillation, and walking for longer periods of time can have health benefits, such as reducing back pain. 'Even small increases in daily activity can make a difference. Walking more could therefore be a simple yet powerful way to reduce risk of chronic low back pain and other diseases,' Haddadj said. 'I think one of the hardest parts when you're giving public health advice, when you're talking about walking, in particular, is what pace to walk at,' Rubin said. Previous methods used to help older adults follow a moderate intensity walking pace, such as the talk test or tracking heart rate, can be subjective and difficult to track pace or cadence accurately. 'The easiest way is, actually, you can use a metronome on your phone,' Rubin said. 'It's called rhythmic auditory cueing.' To do this, start by walking at your normal pace for 30 minutes and time it with the metronome. Once you've established a rhythm, you can gradually increase your pace by five or 10 steps per minute. 'Some people use music to do that. Music is actually a little harder, unless you have a trained ear to really be able to identify the beat,' Rubin said. While keeping this pace, older adults could also benefit from practicing conscious breathing, such as breathing through their nose, said CNN fitness contributor Dana Santas, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports. Nasal breathing, which is when you inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, can help lower blood pressure and improve heart rate variability, according to a 2023 study. Doing so can help prevent development of hypertension. It's also important that you maintain good form while walking, such as standing tall and swinging your arms. It will prevent backaches, make it easy to breathe and keep you balanced. 'Walking is a full body movement. It is not just about your lower body. It's not just one step in front of the one foot in front of the other,' Santas said. 'Your arm swing is a huge part involved in the mechanics of walking. So, you want to have an arm swing that's coordinated with your foot movement, so it's opposing.' Sign up for CNN's Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.
CNN
6 days ago
- Health
- CNN
Increasing your walking cadence can improve mobility
Are you not as strong and physically capable as you would like? Around 7% to 12% of Americans 65 and older are considered frail. That's when at least three of the following symptoms are true, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine: unintentional weight loss, reduced strength, exhaustion, low activity levels and a slow pace. Frailty often makes it difficult for older adults to complete day-to-day tasks. But there may be something they can do about it. Increasing a person's walking cadence by 14 steps per minute was associated with a 10% increase in functional capacity in prefrail and frail older adults, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One. Prefrailty is the period before frailty, where older adults may experience higher risk of physical impairment, cognitive decline, nutritional deficiencies and socioeconomic disadvantages. 'What we ended up finding was that those who are able to walk faster, particularly at a cadence 14 steps per minute faster than their usual pace, were more likely to improve in their mobility or endurance or function,' said Dr. Daniel Rubin, the study's lead author. 'In particular, we were targeting to try to really improve (people's) mobility and their function, just because prefrail and frail older adults tend to be a little bit more limited, at least in the concept of physical frailty,' added Rubin, associate professor of anesthesia and critical care at the University of Chicago. The study was a secondary data analysis of a primary trial that looked at walking intervention in retirement communities and took place over a span of 36 weeks. Whether or not an older adult is frail, mobility is still an important part of healthy aging. By practicing easy strength-training moves, such as walking, you can improve your strength and combat frailty, experts say. Individuals who regularly incorporate walking exercises in their routines also experience longevity, which is living longer and better lives. Active older adults were 28% less likely to become disabled and were able to perform day-to-day tasks with little to no assistance, according to a 2020 study. Other benefits include maintenance of healthy weight, reduced high blood pressure, decreased risk for type 2 diabetes and a stronger musculoskeletal system. 'Walking has been associated with the same type of health outcomes as exercise activities (e.g., risk of mortality, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, improved cognitive ageing),' said Rayane Haddadj, a doctoral candidate in the department of public health and nursing at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, in an email. He was not associated with the study. 'Advantages of walking are that it is a simple, low cost, and accessible activity that can be promoted widely to reduce the burden of various diseases and conditions,' he added. Increasing your walking pace can lower the risk of heart rhythm abnormalities, such as atrial fibrillation, and walking for longer periods of time can have health benefits, such as reducing back pain. 'Even small increases in daily activity can make a difference. Walking more could therefore be a simple yet powerful way to reduce risk of chronic low back pain and other diseases,' Haddadj said. 'I think one of the hardest parts when you're giving public health advice, when you're talking about walking, in particular, is what pace to walk at,' Rubin said. Previous methods used to help older adults follow a moderate intensity walking pace, such as the talk test or tracking heart rate, can be subjective and difficult to track pace or cadence accurately. 'The easiest way is, actually, you can use a metronome on your phone,' Rubin said. 'It's called rhythmic auditory cueing.' To do this, start by walking at your normal pace for 30 minutes and time it with the metronome. Once you've established a rhythm, you can gradually increase your pace by five or 10 steps per minute. 'Some people use music to do that. Music is actually a little harder, unless you have a trained ear to really be able to identify the beat,' Rubin said. While keeping this pace, older adults could also benefit from practicing conscious breathing, such as breathing through their nose, said CNN fitness contributor Dana Santas, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports. Nasal breathing, which is when you inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, can help lower blood pressure and improve heart rate variability, according to a 2023 study. Doing so can help prevent development of hypertension. It's also important that you maintain good form while walking, such as standing tall and swinging your arms. It will prevent backaches, make it easy to breathe and keep you balanced. 'Walking is a full body movement. It is not just about your lower body. It's not just one step in front of the one foot in front of the other,' Santas said. 'Your arm swing is a huge part involved in the mechanics of walking. So, you want to have an arm swing that's coordinated with your foot movement, so it's opposing.' Sign up for CNN's Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.
