JULY 6, 2026
Fast walkers in their 80s cut cognitive decline risk by half, study finds
A study published in the journal Neurology found that people in their 80s and older who walked faster than their peers — the top 9% in gait speed, called "super movers" — were about 50% less likely to develop cognitive decline. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 4,000 older adults enrolled in a long-term aging study. Super movers were defined as those whose gait speed was at least 1.5 standard deviations above the average of same-age peers.
A study published in the journal Neurology identified a strong association between above-average walking speed in people over 80 and a significantly lower likelihood of cognitive decline. The research team, which included Dr. Sofiya Milman of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Dr. Joe Verghese, analyzed gait data and cognitive outcomes from nearly 4,000 participants in a long-term aging study.
The fastest 9% of walkers — those whose speed was at least 1.5 standard deviations above the average for their age group — were labeled "super movers." Milman described the 50% reduction in cognitive decline risk among this group as "very impressive." The study also found that super movers tended to preserve hippocampal volume, the brain region associated with memory and navigation, as they aged.
One notable finding: some super movers showed brain plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer's disease yet displayed no symptoms, leading researchers to suggest that sustained physical activity may help the brain maintain resilience even as age-related changes occur.