The walk

The Sixth Vital Sign

What your walking speed is trying to tell you

You do not need a laboratory. You need a hallway.

Geriatricians have called usual walking speed a sixth vital sign. In 2011, researchers timed a short 13-foot walk at mailbox pace in more than 34,000 people 65 and older, then followed them for years. Faster walkers, as a group, lived longer. People who had already slowed down had less in the tank. At 70, remaining life in that study stretched from about 7 years to 23 in men, and 10 to 30 in women, depending on how they walked. Same birthday. Different reserve.

A walk asks something of the heart, the lungs, the joints, the muscle, and the confidence to put one foot in front of the other. When those systems are fading, the walk becomes a true guidepost.

Same birthday. Different reserve.

The useful part is not the stopwatch - it's the noticing. Are you slower than last year on the same sidewalk, the same grocery aisle, the same hall to the kitchen? That change is the leading indicator. It means there is room to work: strength, balance, the new pill, the hip you have been ignoring, a visit with physical therapy.

If you time it at home, try walking 13 feet at mailbox pace, from a standing start. You are noticing, not diagnosing. Skip it if you have fallen or get dizzy.

This article is for general information. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose or treat anyone. Talk with your own clinician before changing how you exercise or if you feel unsafe on your feet.

Further reading for the curious: Studenski S, et al. Gait speed and survival in older adults. JAMA. 2011.