How fast you should be able to walk a mile at every age and what it can say about your longevity

Walk this way at every age.Movement is essential for a long, healthy life, and walking has been growing in popularity as a simple way to boost heart rate, increase metabolism and lower the risk of disease.It’s not just how far you walk, though; the pace can also reveal important information about health and longevity.Previous research has shown that faster walkers are more likely to live longer, regardless of weight, hitting speeds of about 3 miles per hour, or 100 steps a minute.A quick walk — literally — may mean a longer life, according to a 2024 meta-analysis that found people who walked the fastest were 43% less likely to die of any cause than those in the slowest-walking group.And there are certain benchmarks you should be able to hit in each decade of life, according to a small 2022 study.For healthy adults, an achievable goal while out on a walk is to hit a brisk pace that slightly elevates breathing while still allowing conversation.Not only is a power walk good for living a longer life, but it’s also a good indicator of several health markers, according to Elizabeth Vogstrom, a physician assistant at EVOyouthful.“A person can have normal laboratory values and still be experiencing declines in strength, endurance, mobility, balance or cardiovascular fitness,” Vogstrom told The Daily Mail.“Walking speed often reveals those changes before they become obvious in daily life.”It may not come as a surprise that walking faster is linked to several improved health outcomes, such as a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.A brisk walk has also been associated with improved brain function as we age.Meanwhile, a slower pace, especially one that decreases with each year we get older, could be a sign of cognitive decline or dementia.A sudden decline in walking gait could also signal underlying health issues.“When someone’s walking pace slows unexpectedly, it may reflect deconditioning, loss of muscle mass, cardiovascular limitation...