READ MORE: How fast you should be able to walk a mile at every decade of lifeSee more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy EMILY JOSHU STERNE, US ASSISTANT HEALTH EDITOR Published: 03:21 BST, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 03:26 BST, 29 June 2026
Taking a step is something most people take for granted. For younger people and those without movement disorders, it's a simple process that often doesn't elicit a second thought.But as we age, the amount of time it takes to put one foot in front of the other could be a vital clue in measuring lifespan and risk of death.Researchers in Israel sought to understand how balance, posture and muscle movement were associated with survival rates in older adults over the course of nearly two decades. They found that for every extra 100 milliseconds (0.1 seconds) it took participants to initiate a voluntary step while they were distracted, their risk of death increased by nearly 30 percent during the follow-up period.While exact numbers vary based on a person's height, fitness level and general walking speed, initiating one step usually takes between 600 and 700 milliseconds. Running or sprinting cuts that time down to between 300 and 400 milliseconds. The researchers believe the findings show that slower steps may be an indication of overall neurological and physiological resilience in aging, which signals the brain and body's ability to adapt to stress.Poor balance, for instance, can increase the risk of experiencing a fall, which in older adults leads to broken bones, muscle wasting and traumatic brain injuries. A new study has shown that people who need more time to take a step have a 28 percent higher risk of death
