"Walking Is The Sixth Vital Sign." What Is Yours Telling You?

I can still hear my dad describing people who were getting older as "slowing down."

That's literally the case!

Your walking speed has been deemed The Functional Vital Sign and The Sixth Vital Sign.​

Walking speed is a window into a person's functional capacity and general health status. It accurately predicts

• response to rehabilitation

• functional dependence

• frailty

• mobility

• disability

• cognitive decline

• falls

• institutionalization

• hospitalization

• cardiovascular-related events

• all-cause mortality

Slow walking speed is associated with lower quality of life, decreased participation, and depressive symptoms.

Efficient walking leads to faster walking

Forget what you've been told about landing heel-toe. Heel-striking leads to

• knee hyperextension

• tight hip flexors

• overworked calves

• shin splints

• greater total body impact

• plantar fascia stress

• internal hip rotation

• anterior pelvic rotation

• and in many cases, bunions!

1) Your body mass should be over your forward foot, which lands mid-foot, not on the heel. That forward momentum propels you forward. Think of the back foot pushing you forward, rather than the front heel pulling you forward.

A recent article recommends practicing with a treadmill to get the feel of the belt pulling one foot back as you step forward with the other.

2) A straight line is more efficient. Stand tall and look straight ahead. If you look down, your back will follow your head and you'll end up bent over. Imagine a bungee cord attached to your sternum pulling you forward.

3) The faster you go, the more you bend your elbows. Elbow swing should be forward and back, not crossing your body.

4) Take short, efficient strides with quick foot turnover. Feet should always be aimed straight ahead!

5) Keep your abdominals tight to prevent overextending your lower back.

Then there's the brain part....

As you may have learned in my power workouts, your brain has to learn how to tell your body to move faster. If you're a slow walker, increase your speed by doing short intervals of walking faster.

Over time, your coordination will improve and your speed will increase.

Set a goal of outwalking the Grim Reaper

Researchers in Australia discovered a direct correlation between walking speed and longevity. The faster older adults can walk, the lower their mortality rate.

The study became known as "The Grim Reaper Study" and the optimal walking pace was determined to be 3 miles per hour. That doesn't require walking for an hour, just walking at that pace.
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This walking pace is equivalent to covering 4.5 feet per second or 135 feet in 30 seconds. It's easy to practice moving more quickly, using these "performance standards."
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Oh, and how fast does the Grim Reaper walk? According to the research, 2.87 miles per hour!