Getting old might not be something that's yet to cross your mind. But aging is going to defeat us one day, so it's something we'd all like to control.
It would be great to have a long, healthy and happy life, and that's why scientists are constantly seeking out what we need to do to achieve it. We all know that regular exercise is good for us. But the latest piece of research might put a spring in your step if you're someone who walks at a fast pace. That's because the speed at which people walk in their 40s is a sign of how much their brains and their bodies are aging.
The BBC's Philippa Roxby writes that tests on 1,000 people found that slower walkers tended to show signs of "accelerated aging". Their lungs, teeth and immune systems were in worse shape than those walking faster. The study also found not only did slower walkers bodies age more quickly, their faces looked older and they had smaller brains.
This might be seen as a wake-up call for people with a slower pace to work out and get fitter. But it might be too late; researchers say they were able to predict the walking speed of 45-year-olds using the results of intelligence, language and motor (运动)skills tests from when they were aged three. They also suggest that even in early life, there are signs showing which people will have a healthier life.
So, what's the point of knowing that a slower walking pace might mean a smaller brain? Researchers say measuring walking speed at a younger age and understanding what this might mean could be a way of testing treatments to slow human aging.
