In recent years we’ve been told to aim to walk 10,000 steps a day to remain healthy, although other advice to do three brisk (轻快的) 10-minute walks a day is thought to be even more effective. 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, according to scientists, the speed at which people walk in their 40s is a sign of how much their brains, as well as their bodies, are ageing.
The BBC’s Philippa Roxby writes that tests on 1,000 people from New Zealand born in the 1970s found that slower walkers tended to show signs of “accelerated (加速) ageing”. Their lungs, teeth and immune systems were in worse shape than those who walked faster. And to add insult to injury (往伤口撒盐), the study 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 who might feel it’s time to work out and get fitter. But it might be too late; researchers writing in JAMA Network Open say they were able to predict the walking speed of 45-year-olds using the results of intelligence, language and motor skills tests from when they were aged three. They also suggest that even in early life, there are signs showing which people will go on to have a healthier life.
So, what’s the point of knowing that a slower walking pace might mean a smaller brain? Well, 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 ageing. This might help us make lifestyle changes while we’re still young and healthy. Any steps we can take to prolong (延长) a good mental and physical state is a no-brainer!
【小题1】Where is the text probably taken from?| A．A guide book. | B．A book review. |
| C．A science report. | D．An advertisement. |
| A．Those walking fast tend to have worse teeth. |
| B．Slow walker may have smaller brains and older faces. |
| C．Intelligence can be used to predict a person’s life style. |
| D．It is never too late to start walking fast to become healthier. |
| A．Study on Slow Walkers | B．Healthy Life or Nothing |
| C．Walking Speed and Ageing | D．Benefits of Walking Slowly |
