Crossword puzzles and brain teasers have long been touted as ways to keep the mind sharp. But a new study points to another strategy that may matter just as much: staying fast on your feet.
Researchers have found that people in their 80s who maintain an exceptionally quick walking pace, dubbed “super movers,” are also far more likely to stay mentally sharp compared to their slower-moving peers of the same age.
I know a lot of old people who want to walk fast, but they have been forced to slow down because their body (often balance) won’t allow it. They might be able to run from point A to point B just like when they were young - but the most likely outcome is they fall and break arms and legs. Thus they slowly hobble along with a cane, it is slower, but safer.