People in their 80s who maintain an exceptionally quick walking pace have been dubbed “super movers,” and researchers have found that they are more likely to stay mentally sharp compared to their slower-moving peers. Participants took a timed walking test and the fastest nine percent qualified as super movers because their gait speed was at least 1.5 standard deviations above the average of their peers. Results (published in the journal Neurology) showed that these “super movers” were about fifty percent less likely to develop cognitive decline than their peers who do not walk as fast.
Earlier research has shown a connection between regular exercise and increased volume in the hippocampus, the brain’s center for memory and navigation. This new study found that super movers tended to preserve hippocampal volume as they aged.
Walking is a marker of good health because it draws on so many of the body’s systems at once; thus, it supports both cardiovascular and lung health. It also requires complex interaction between the brain, nerves, and muscles, since it requires balance, coordination, and strength. While walking, blood is pumped into the brain, carrying oxygen and glucose (blood sugar), the primary fuel sources required to generate ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the cellular energy currency that powers all brain activity, synaptic transmission, and neurotransmitter production.
One of the study’s more surprising findings was that some super movers showed brain plaques and tangles, the abnormal proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, despite having no symptoms. The implication is that movement and the benefits of staying active may help the brain stay resilient even as it undergoes age-related changes.
It is also possible that people who walk faster might, by engaging in these activities, maintain brain health by reducing inflammation, improving cardiovascular health, and promoting brain growth in areas essential for maintaining cognitive function as they age. While the findings suggest walking speed may help identify those at higher risk of cognitive decline, they do not prove that intentionally walking faster prevents dementia.
Quan, et al. (2017) conducted a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies and found evidence supporting that slow or decreased walking pace is significantly associated with the risks of cognitive decline and dementia among elderly populations. Both that study and this one concluded that walking pace may be an effective indicator of the development of cognitive decline and dementia in older adults.
Jayakody, O., Milman, S., Barzilai, N., Weiss, E. F., Wang, C., Jin, Y., Blumen, H., & Verghese, J. (2026). Cognitive Aging and Brain Health: A Comparison of Super Movers vs Nonsuper Movers. Neurology, 107(1), e214776. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000214776