Walk faster, live longer

#Middlebury #Seniors

We’ve known for years that walking is a good form of exercise for seniors … we just didn’t know why. Now a new study not only explains how it works, but why brisk walking is even more effective.

Ten years ago, researchers at Leicester University Biomedical Research Centre started looking at genetic data in the biobanks in the U.K. for clues about why seniors who walk seemed to live longer. They didn’t fool around with a dozen or so participants. No, they analyzed the information of over 405,000 people.

And now we know: It’s the telomere length. Telomeres (aka leucocyte telomere length, or LTLs) are the “end caps” on strands of DNA, the building blocks of our bodies and an indicator of our biological age. Fast walkers have longer LTLs, and therefore better health … and longer lives.

That same study showed that as little as 10 minutes per day of brisk walking can equate to longer lives. (The Mayo Clinic prefers 30 minutes of activity per day, possibly broken into three 10-minute sessions.) The best walking pace appears to be 3 mph, although the research data was from wearable tracking devices like those we use to measure steps per day.

But there’s more. A study at the National Institutes of Health concluded that the length of the telomeres is positively associated with consuming fruits, dairy, 100% fruit juice and coffee. On the other hand, food and drinks with high amounts of sugar and red meat can negatively affect the telomere length. The study gave a big thumbs up to the Mediterranean diet, with loads of nuts, fruits, vegetables, unrefined cereals, fish and olive oil.

If you invest in a pedometer to measure your steps, be sure to look for one that tracks your speed. Ask your doctor about any recommendations they have for the trackers.

© 2022 King Features Synd. Inc.

 

 

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