“Where are you running!” – such a reproach can be heard against a resident of a metropolis: it is believed that the pace of life in large cities sets the pace for walking. But scientists have found that brisk walking can be caused by completely different reasons.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, based on an analysis of the gait speed of hundreds of middle-aged people, found that the IQ of fast-moving people aged 45 was on average 16 points higher than that of their slower peers.
It is noteworthy that doctors have long analyzed gait speed to understand the cognitive abilities of older people, but so far no one has suggested that the same applies to people of middle age and younger. Moreover, according to scientists, such tests can help in the early detection of dementia.
MRI studies have also shown that “slow people” at age 45 tend to have a lower total brain volume, a smaller average cortical thickness, a smaller brain surface area, and a higher incidence of white matter hyperintensity, small lesions associated with the disease. small vessels of the brain.
Those with slower walks also performed less well on exercise and health tests—their lungs, teeth, and immune systems are generally in worse shape than faster walkers. Another study showed that slow walkers even look older, according to eight experts who estimated the age of people from photographs.
You can read more about the study in the article of the British edition of The Telegraph.