THIS Can Make You More Likely To Get Dementia 

My parents sold their ranch and bought a house with a small yard when they hit their 80s. The ranch had 11 acres and they walked a lot every day. Their physical activity came to a screaching halt after the move and I watched them deteriorate before my eyes. My dad started slowing down bc he had Parkinson's, as it turned out, but he didnt know it until he'd been sitting around doing nothing. Over time I became his caregiver, and he died at 88. Meanwhile my mom started developing dementia and I'm her caregiver still. She wasn't super-spry in her 70s either, but once she became inactive, everything started to go wrong with her mind. Don't ever stop moving around.

My mom has Alzheimer's and her mom died from it. I'm very worried about my bad genetics. I'm not only obsessed with keeping my blood sugar down (Alzheimer's is diabetes type 3) but will make sure to keep walking FAST as I've always done.

No I haven’t ever heard of this. My husband who passed away 8/7/22, he was 86, from Lewy Body Dementia with some Parkinson effects did change his walking speed very rapidly. Finding you was a gift from God and helped me understand how to help him, if only I could have found you sooner. Even though he is gone now I continue to follow you to learn all I can to help others who are a caretaker but need to become a Careblazer for their Loved One or for their selves. I just recently turned 75 and I took care of Rob for 17 years. My health has definitely gone down hill during this time. I use a cane to help with my balance and Vertigo problems using my cane definitely slows me down. I am very afraid that dementia is creeping into my near future. When you can, in your videos talk more about current Careblazers and things we need to watch for in our lives to try to not become our own Careblazer. I pray that God bless you in all that you do! Janelle Robison

Funny data. My 93 year old retired marine father was fast walking up to the day he collapsed with a virus on a walk. He passed a month later without recovering his motor control with diagnosis of death by dementia. We wonder if he had covid since it was just becoming evident in US. Lock down was a few weeks away. My father had dementia for about 10 years. He always knew us and did his own personal care. He was amazing, very aware and insightful despite not hearing much. He still talked, but not so much. Miss him always.

Both my husband & I were walking regularly before Covid. He walked much slower than I did because of knee problems caused by his job as a FedEx courier. Since Covid we have both slowed down considerably. He was diagnosed with dementia several months ago & I can see it progressing. I had pretty much stopped walking for exercise and noticed how much slower I am when shopping or out for lunch with my daughters. I have heard often that physical activity and walking are essential as well as keeping the mind active. Most recently my husband has had to have some home health care, including physical therapy. The home PT, compared with outpatient, has made a huge difference. He has more energy, more motivated, stretching and starting now to walk every day. I have joined him exercising and will be encouraging both of us to walk daily … and to increase distance and speed as much as possible. Thank you for this encouraging video.

Totally happened to me- I had always been a fast Walker- thrn like a decade before my MCI turned dementia- my walk suddenly slowed & stayed slower despite me keeping up all same activities. & even now sometimes I’m all but at a crawl speed despite still continuing to walk & hike & elliptical etc (all w/modifications & oversight). Very frustrating. So all my proactive interventions have slowly (but unfortunately not stopped) my progression. My hope is that others will be cared for better as more people see these non-memory warning signs.

Not sure if you have mentioned this before, but there is a strong correlation between hearing loss and cognitive function. Also hearing loss and balance can be related. If a person has poor balance, they will definitely walk slowly. Only a small number of people who need hearing aids actually get or regularly use hearing aids (some due to denial of hearing loss, vanity or most often cost of hearing aids and poorly fitted hearing aids). When people can't communicate effectively, they start to retreat from society to avoid situations where they frustrate others or themselves. That's a dangerous cycle to get on, because with less communication, the brain isn't getting the stimulation it needs.

YES! I met my husband in 1996 and he was always a little slow moving his whole body. He was 47 at that time. I really didn't notice any decline in his baseline until approximately six years ago. He was 67 by then I just went ahead of him and waited for him to catch up. Now at 72 he cannot walk without holding on to objects. In open spaces he holds on to my arm and it takes forever to walk a few feet.

Okay, when I worked everyone said slow down because I walked so fast, now since I have started falling I walk slow with my walker. So I think I need to go back to putting on my music and dancing, I still can dance if I hold on to something like my walker, cane. My feet and body seem to enjoy the rythums in dance. I do this a lot, but not everyday…so I will do it a few minutes at a time everyday. My aunt had dementia and she was a walker till she broke her hip. Twice! Then 6 weeks after the second fall she got pneumonia and died in the hospital at 86.

I just want to take a moment to thankyou for your pod casts. Mom passed away 7 weeks ago, and your information helped greatly the past 2 years as I learned from you. I learned more patience, and the to do, and what NOT to do. She had been on home hospice for about 5 weeks. She was still mobile, but her verbal communication was limited. She still knew us all. She appeared to have had a stroke in the night and couldn't function normally from then on. She passed 6 days later. I tell everyone about Careblazers. Thankyou for making a difference in our lives.❤

The change from a faster paced walking speed to a slower paced one sounds like a symptom to be aware of in diagnosing the horrible disease and making some earlier intervention therapies possible.

Uhhh... I have a couple of small issues that I hope you could clear up! I have longer legs than my wife, therefore, I have a longer stride, and naturally walk faster than my wife. By my slowing down, now habitually and due to various joint issues and arthritis, I don't believe this is increasing my chances for dementia. I can see how a reduction in walking speed may be an INDICATOR for the possible onset of dementia, but I'm having a hard time seeing it being "Cause and Effect". Certainly there must be other reasons a person may have reduced walking speed? Hip, knee, foot issues? Balance issues? Sight issues? (never noticed many blind people jogging...) Vertigo? Arthritis? Bursitis? I'm forced to give the idea some credence as my mother did slow down her gate long before her dementia diagnosis, but she does have some of these other issues. Coincidence? Some of these things ARE typical maladies of old age... In any case- Thank you for your videos! My wife and I find them invaluable as a resource for taking care of my mother.

I've heard of changes in walking, less swinging the arms, correlating with risk for dementia, but not specifically speed. My mother's sister and their mother both have/had dementia, so I'm very conscious of my walking. Thank you for your videos!

Thank you, Dr. Natali … Great thanks for all I learnt from you since quite a long time! But especially your today’s video brings me to writing to you: long before my husband’s diagnosis has been confirmed by a neurologist, at the time me and very close family members remarked every now and then strange behavior or forgetfulness, I remarked that my husband walked slower and in a different way: he put his feet down: toe first! When I asked him, why he is going so slow, he always said there wouldn’t be any reason, no pain, nothing. But sometimes it is very uncomfortable moving slow, for example at train stations or at the airport. So I dragged him from doctor to doctor and nobody could find a physical reason. Also: A depressive mood has accompanied the dementia and his posture has also changed: head and shoulders hanging slightly forward. It secures me to hear with your today’s video that my observations are scientifically confirmed. Thank you again, Dr. Natali for your great support! I would love to get your videos with German or French subtitles, since I am giving many of your advice to my co-caregivers who understand very little English and so I am translating back and forth. There is nobody in Germany… I think not in the whole world… who does such a wonderful great job like you are doing ❣️ Stay with us and warm greetings from Germany 🤗 Briggi

Thank you so much for this information! As a 69 year old I have never heard this. I will share this valuable information!!!

My 89-year old dad fully buys into this. He sends me his FitBit stats every week and averages 90,000 steps. His mom walked 3 miles around the high school track every day until she was 92. Fast walking is invigorating/slow walking is exhausting.

My dogs keep my pace pretty brisk! Yes, I heard of this study before, and have been watching my mom walk at age 82. She’s always been slow, so no real changes. You do a great job speaking clearly and explaining, thank you. As a senior now, keeping physical activity going is a priority. I have several health issues, but walking is one exercise i still love to do. Are there similar studies pertaining to sitting aerobics, gardening, etc?

The insurance company we have for our health insurance, has a program where they send a doctor to the house to evaluate client health. This last trip the doctor asked me to walk across the floor and he was looking for the speed at which I did that. He never really said why but given some other things he wanted me to do, I think he was looking for walking speed. I'm 80.

Walking changes with dementia yes but sometimes people walk slower when getting older weight gain bad back etc so you pretty much know someone has dementia before they start to slow down or the very early stages of this disease

Yes. I have noticed my wife who is now 81 has been slowing down in her walking to almost it now taking 40 minutes to walk 1 mile. She used to walk about 1.2 miles just a few years ago in 32 min. I attributed it to aging, but not so. She is slowing down mentally now also. She forgets that she took her eye drops, and asks me to give them to her again. I can't argue with her because she swears she didn't take her eye drops just 15 min. ago. Scary.

I was also told that the swing of the arms as you walk also go hand in hand with cognitive decline, and that if we have low or no arm swing as we walk, we should use a conscious effort to get the arms in a normal swing as we walk, in that the effort forces the brain to adjust or remap - or something along those lines. It makes sense and certainly could not hurt. Thank you for posting this video!

Looking at the comments shows me that as we she our gaits do slow . Especially with arthritis and other age related issues and past injuries. Not really sure this is a good , firm way to determine dementia risk

My grandfather and his 6 sons all walked slowly or sedately from day one. They were all, under 5ft 4inches. Grandpa was 4, 11. He lived until 96yrs of age without cognitive impairment. He never stopped working at physical labour until age 90. So I really take issue as a Clinician that a lifetime as a measured walker indicates dementia as your opening suggests. I have long known about the decrease in speed indicating the various diagnosis depending on the type of dementia. But as others here ask, many of us slow in pace as we age due to fractured hips, replaced knees, arthritis. So this little video is unclear in that it causes worry to those who needn't worry. Versus saying if there us no other cause and someone's pace slows, think about the brain.

I appreciate you Dr Natali 💕 and love seeing your pup 🐶

I noticed my sister having trouble walking several years ago. At first I thought it was her shoes but when she changed her shoes her walk didn’t improve. I mentioned it to my sister that I thought she was developing dementia she blew me off. Now six years later she is at stage 5 dementia. A new neighbor moved in and I believe he will develop dementia soon just from the way he walks.

My friend’s husband has had Parkinson’s disease for 10 years. I have known him since we were in our 20’s. We are seniors now and he is in his late 70’s. The most noticeable thing about him even when were young was his slow walking pace and his disdain for exercise. He was essentially a physically lazy person. He considered himself intellectually superior and preferred to cultivate his mind. He retired at the surprisingly early age of 50 when his office relocated. He spent his days sitting in his recliner drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes and watching the news on TV. He declined travelling with his family and was resistant to doing domestic chores. The image he recalls in my mind is a man who walks in a slow and even pace with his hands clasped behind his back. Before his diagnosis of Parkinson’s I had thought that the relaxed lifestyle and his slow walking pace was a good sign, indicating of lack of stress in his life. I once said to my friend that Joe will outlive you because he is so relaxed and worry-free. I was wrong. Another fact I recently picked up was that walking style matters as a predictor of cognitive health. One sign of future cognitive problems is that the swinging of the arms that do not coordinate with the foot steps. Apparently, the correct way to walk is with right arm to swing forward with the left leg and vice versa. Joe habitually walked with his hands behind his back and his body hunched forward.

Thanks for this confirmation. I observed the same in both my octogenarian in-laws in their earlier years before they had dementia. Most grateful! 🇸🇬 from Singapore.

I’ve never heard of this. I have heard walking is good for our brains! I walk fast unless I’m walking with my LO. Thanks Dr. Natali 💗

My 86 years old Dad walked slow due to knee pain. He did not have dementia. The problem with dementia is that you CANNOT STOP the holes in the brain from forming. This is why speech and thoughts get disrupted. Its Not about how fast or slow someone walks

What if your slow walk has to do with knee or hip problems and not because you are a slow walker?

Yes! It was the first thing I noticed. He went from being a very fast walker, to a slow one. Without knowing, i would tease, and call him “shuffles”. We just thought it was due to getting older. Now (after diagnosis) he walks at a snails pace. We tried PT to improve his balance and spatial cognition, but it didn’t really help.

Hi---yes, I have heard of this before. My dad passed away from dementia some 25 years ago. During his diagnosis, his doctor pointed out his slower, deliberate gate along with the absence of arm swinging as he walked. The doctor was correct.

Such good information. Thank you for sharing this info. My loved one had a stroke at age 47 with some frontal lobe brain damage. 19 yrs later he is still working, but we need to do more physical exercise. There was some change in my loved ones walking but I can't remember WHAT We shall go walking tonight, and I'll have more info to base future moves Bless you!

I know that my husband’s doctor asking to walk for him last doctors visit and had hrealize that he was walking slower but I didn’t know it’s because he is Lewy body dementia . Thank you dr. Natalie for your information🙏🏼

My understanding is that slow walking is an early symptom of dementia, not a cause of dementia. It is a bit confusing the way you present this. Particularly most cases of dementia are diagnosed years after the actual dementia starts to occur.

Next time you get stuck behind a slow walker when you are in a hurry, share this video with them 🤪

I have heard things about speed and especially arm swing. What’s confusing to me is the chicken and egg aspect of this, i.e. does slowing down come about due to lack of exercise or due to cognitive decline itself. I’ve been athletic since my 20s but am starting to see a natural trend towards slowing as I approach 70. It’s always hard to start doing intervals or HIIT type workouts - when you just start out, even as a young person, you’ll likely get injuries that’ll slow you down again. But once you recover you’ll gain fitness more rapidly. Now, with the help of PT I may actually heal an injury more quickly, but once healed my fitness progress is still more sporadic and I’m not clear on how much of that is purely physical and how much boredom, organization, COVID, depression/dysthymia, funds and other factors. Part of me says there’s just no way to beat this until we really start to reverse aging at the cellular level. It’s too interconnected to just say “speed up and you’ll fight mental decline”. I’ll keep trying, but it feels like one step forward and two back. There are fewer weeks where I’m doing multiple days of interval and weight training. Some of that could just be new endeavours I’m working on, lack of sleep, etc., but that’s another case of “is the lack of sleep just work and anxiety related or is it also just part of aging? If I can’t stop shorter nights, can I stop walking slow more and more? I’m confused . . .

I have seen this in people before.. I walk like I’m on fire. Lol. I’ll make a point to now! Thank you for the posting.

Have just sold my last boat... Living on a sailboat on the anchor has kept me in shape... Noticed that things have gotten worse quickly... Before would row or stand up paddle... Bike ride to workout or grocery, laundry etc...

Science 101: A correlation is not causality. So the relationship between walking speed and later diagnosis has to be defined. I have a hypothesis. H1= fundamental brain function is first regulating the body and the act of walking is a complex series of coordinated movements, so if there is early brain failure (or a predisposition to brain failure) it manifests itself with slower, impaired walking speed. Does the TYPE of dementia correlate with specific types of walking changes. Staying as active as possible is fundamental so all aspects of our health. 2020 onward has zapped my own exercise and activity levels. I'm inspired to keep at it!

My late dad had Dementia. I noticed his change in gait about five years before he was ever diagnosed. I noticed a change in walking of one of my neighbours, a fine man, 6’2” and walked to the local leisure centre gym every morning for years. I one day watched him wheeling his bin down his drive and noticed him walking slow and stooped. I only found out after he passed away three months later that he was diagnosed with Alzheimers 😢

Interesting. Never heard of the correlation but makes sense.

The title of your video indicates that walking slower can CAUSE dementia. To this I strongly disagree. Perhaps it’s an indication of the onset of dementia, but not the cause. I’ve had to walk slower for the last year, due to a very bad knee injury. I by no means believe that will create dementia.

Did this article correlate the decline in vision to the decline in walking speed? This may subconsciously have caused the slower walking speed for their own safety. Just a thought.

Thank you for getting straight to the bottom line of your topic. All too often one finds a long drawn out intro for 3/4 or more of the video, just to state the key points at the very end. That is so frustrating.

Yes, I absolutely remember when I noticed how slow my mother was suddenly walking. It came out of no where and my mother refused to take care of herself when it came to diet and exercise. She just didn’t do it. When I’m with my mother I always walk alone and then walk with her later. I do this because her walking is way too slow and her walking distance is too short. I cannot get the doctor to make a dementia diagnosis. Her MRI didn’t show anything significant. She said she’s losing her memory from old age. She’s 81 and helping her with banking has become a problem because they want to see a written diagnosis that says dementia. I’m not sure what to do to get past the ted tape.

People are commenting on slower walking due to joint pain for example, but that's another thing I think. Looking back, I now realize that my Mom's walking was getting slower. She has cognitive issues, very poor mobility and Parkinson like symptoms. She's knocking on 80 years old, but more like at least 90 .

Fascinating. Makes perfect sense. Our movement helps the brain to clean itself, so I’ll keep walking as fast as I want to. :-)

My mobility drastically reduced over a short period of time compared to my physically active lifestyle. I was finally diagnosed with hereditary hemochromatosis that predisposes me to diabetes, gout and osteoporosis. Fortunately I had quit alcohol two decades previously. My new diet required that I stop eating sugar, red meats and especially processed meats, with sugar being far more challenging to quit than alcohol. According to x-ray and fMRI both ankles need replacement. I had severe muscle breakdown due to combination of gout and cholesterol medication (colchicine and atorvastatin) that I diagnosed when I had great difficulty with trying to stand from a sitting position (searching "difficulty standing medications").

My husband has really slowed down this past year, but we still take our daily walk with the dogs every day. He doesn’t get as far as he used to but he still enjoys it and I feel it’s one of the most important things we can do. I walk our German Shepard and he walks our old small dog so they are both going at a slower pace than I am with the bigger, stronger dog and we literally run circles around those two and walk farther than they do.I have heard somewhere in these last 13 years of being his caregiver that a slower pace is a possible sign of dementia, and I have seen for myself the progression of his disease coinciding with his pace.

The walk and swing of your arms too.

I have always cycled and done a lot of running although both have curtailed in very recent years owing to caring for my mother who has dementia. I am worried that I am losing or have lost the fitness I always maintained through out my life. I am in my mid fifties now. My mother's walking has become quite slow some times I think she does it deliberately to avoid walking with me as some times she can really get a wriggle on. Also she tends to shuffle like an old China man which she never used to do and is stooped forward as well. You only have one body. Use it or lose it.

Yes, walking speed ( unless the cause is pain ) and / or a shorter gait, lack of arms swinging while walking and the loss of smell can all be indicators - along with a marked change in handwriting, smaller script noticed.

Correlation is not causation. No verifiable evidence shows that walking faster will prevent dementia. That is ludicrous.

this is so serious, i have a friend that just decided to retire i saw her for the first time not pushing the supply cart her walk was slow and rocking.

Walking is so good for so many things, but I do want people to know that they have options for their loved ones who are going into either dementia obviously or I have started to slow down. Rebounding on a safe mini trampoline is an outstanding way to get blood pumping when other factors make it difficult to really walk with much energy. It simultaneously helps flush the lymphatic system, and causes each and every cell of the body to do a little “push-up.“ So you really strengthen every cell and muscle in the body, gently and effectively. Another benefit is that it can help loosen and decompress the vertebrae (check with your doctor first if spine issues exist already). using a product with a stability bar or next to something solid like a counter or a bar attached to the wall is a way to ensure safety if balance is an issue. I have looked at tons of product in this area and I’m very comfortable recommending the Cellerciser from Dave Hall as safe in terms of impact, (it was designed in response to Dave’s father’s injury on a low quality rebounder), as a product that will work for the widest range of weight of different individuals, the lowest in maintenance (the bungee cord ones are gorgeous, but Require regular turning of the bungees and periodic replacement), and a super high quality (the feet will not mark the floor, I didn’t have any offgassing from the jumping surface), and I’ve had mine for a really long time and it still works great. you can look for Dave Hall on RU-vid to have a look at that, and you will see that even something called a “health bounce,'' in which the feet don’t leave the surface, can have tremendous health benefits even for the fragile. more vigorous exercise can lead to rather astounding strength. If you like the idea, please do your due diligence and research the product that you purchase for these qualities. There’s something for every budget. Another option that is wonderful for improving circulation and strength for nearly anyone is a high quality WBV machine, whole body vibration. Again, I wouldn’t recommend just any product, and I did a great deal of research before considering making any recommendation as well as trying out different product. as a caveat, this approach is not appropriate to people with different kinds of implants in their bodies. Anyone with a structural issue should obviously check with the doctor before going down this path. But if those two things are not an issue, the whole body vibration accomplishes something similar to Rebounding, and every movement that you make on that machine means the muscle has actually worked a lot more cells and worked them much more effectively than even on the rebounder. Even just standing on it has tremendous health benefits and it doesn’t take very long on the machine each day to accomplish it. Some sellers tout the benefits of multi directional movement, but at this point I agree with using only simple vertical, linear vibration especially with the fragile and those with any kind of neurological issues. At the time that I purchased one for our family, there were not many options available for simple, linear vibration. As my husband and I are past the 60 year mark, I chose the gentle 500 from Becky Chambers. She had a sale around Christmas time and I believe it was about $399 at that point. I just did a quick search and found one for $389, but more intriguingly I have seen a lot more product options with the linear movement. doing some homework on the cost, weight parameters, amplitude etc. is in order before making a purchase if you want to try something different. And actually, I just think everyone should be doing their due diligence with product research. This is a great tool, similar to the rebounder, for improving issues like blood sugar balance, osteoporosis/osteopenia, blood pressure management, general detoxification via flushing the lymphatic system, Improving balance by stimulating the neuromuscular systems, etc. I will also add that people are having some impressive improvements in the dementia department when they change their diet and eliminate carbs. In fact, people are fixing a lot of problems using a carnivore diet or a modified carnivore diet like the 5%-carb one advocated by Stephanie Person. There are a lot of carnivore advocates out there, many who have been practicing this eating style for decades. Some have found they feel better when they add a little bit of specific plant foods into their diet. It will automatically give a person much more control over their blood sugar, and given the fact that Alzheimer’s is sort of “diabetes of the brain,” this is not much of a surprise. Channels/people to look at include Ken Berry MD, Shawn Baker MD, My zero carb life, amber O’Hearn, steak and butter gal, carnivore camaraderie, Charles Washington, to name just a few. dr. Jason Fung is another cutting edge endocrinologist who helps people with their blood sugar balance/diabetes/weight issues using intermittent fasting and proper food choices. inflammation is at the back of so many of our diseases that can contribute to dementia, whether it is a blood sugar issue or a cardiovascular issue. Getting yourself and your loved ones outside in natural daylight without having glasses or contact lenses on is key for normalizing inflammation in the body. If you can’t do it at any other time of the day, at least try to do it every morning. If you can’t do it then, try for sunset, And try to get outside as much as you possibly can without any sort of glass between you and the daylight. You don’t necessarily even have to be in the sun although of course getting your vitamin D and light signaling through your skin is also possible, just not as effective as when your eyes are uncovered. going barefoot, or wearing pure leather soles or just socks that allow your body to experience the electromagnetic frequency of the Earth also helps modulate your immune system and is somewhat protective against all of the non-native EMF in our surroundings these days. Taking breaks from your digital tools and putting space between you and those tools (especially while they are charging) - this should be a regular habit. Ditto, turning off your Wi-Fi at night. I know it is a hassle to keep entering passwords but non-native EMF is very dehydrating to the cells and that is going to compromise oxygen delivery, nutrient delivery, detoxification, simply by lowering your ability to use water to flush your system out. there are more and more people discussing this important topic online, one of the sources that has the most information in one place is Dr. Jack Kruse MD. He has a tremendous amount of material available for free that will give you what you need to know. Those who want to pursue this further can join his website for the newest slashlatest greatest, etc., which seems to be the trend among many health specialists online these days. Last of all, pay attention to what morticians are finding in the bodies of people who have taken certain injections that rolled out in response to a certain disease. They are finding everything from Little granules that look like coffee grounds all the way up to very long white fibrous stringy stuff covered with clots of blood. They are having to pull those strings out of the blood vessels of the patients because they are blocking the ability to embalm the patients. Research is showing that Death from all causes is on the rise, including strokes and heart attacks which can be caused by blockages. We just had a pilot keel over in a cockpit after takeoff, and he is no longer among the living. Pilots in general are having this and they are among the groups that have had this medical intervention forced upon them in order to retain their jobs. Certain spiky things are being found at autopsy all around failed organs. Just saying. when new drugs are rushed out too quickly, the general population become guinea pigs. In UK, the death rate among those who received the experimental drug is now higher than the death rate among those who did not take it. We are at the tip of the iceberg.

I've also heard that when walking if one arm swings less than the other, that is also a sign of neurological issues...

My steps are much shorter now at age 57 and I am much slower but I do have a back injury that is inoperable.

Just for a point of reference maybe .... my mother always walked fast , passed at 90 years no dementia , my brother always and still walks fast , has dementia at 68 , my husband always walked a little slow , now much slower has dementia at 78 , my sister walked fast now walks slow has dementia at 73......... yes you read that right I have 3 with dementia and they all need caregiving ... I still walk fast , someone has to mind their health and safety ... so I keep running

My husband always walked fast and was diagnosed wit frontal temporal lobe dementia at age 48. I walked slow due to one hip going bad, numbness is leg due to spinal stenosis, the other hip going bad and had 3 surgeries and now have knee issues. It is also hill where I live and i do better on a level surface. I have done swimming and and do strength exercise 2 times a week. My husband is deceased from dementia and I'm 75. LOL !!!!!!!

I have always had this suspicion of slow walking....thanks for this video....timely.

Hello, I will be 79 in two weeks, and I always had a brisk walk and still walk very briskly. Now having said that, I did notice that my short memory is failing, I am getting worried because I live alone. Now I’m having to write myself notes.

You should understand that many elderly walk slower so they won’t fall again. Once you fall, you learn to slow down.

My mother knew there was a problem 20 years before diagnosis. Don't specifically remember her going for walks, but she was always active and worked until her job put computers in. She could keep track of things faster than the computer.

Interesting...I didn't know that. I'm going to think about this now with some of the people I used to spend time with and also pay attention to others around me.

After working with seniors I've also noticed that transitioning to different surfaces...tile to carpet is a sign of things to come.

First I've heard of this. Somewhat worrying as I'm a slow walker and can't walk very far without stopping. Shoes are a major problem these days ie getting some that are actually comfortable for walking, particularly having slightly different sized feet. Shoes are a compromise unless I buy two pairs and use one of each. Covid hasn't helped either. I lost a lot of motivation despite no lock downs now. 80 pushing 81. Must get out of this chair! 🙂

I'm 70 and I don't have a car and I ride my bicycle everywhere. I also do weight training and brisk walking on a treadmill at a neighborhood gym and I feel great. I feel no different from 30 years ago. Join a gym or you won't do it. If you are with Medicare Advantage, you get a free membership at many gyms. An ex- friend of mine who is almost the exact same age as me has been drinking liquor, lots of beer and smoking cigarettes daily since she was a teenager (about 55 yrs. on cigs) is now a basket case with high blood pressure, emphysema, a cognitive impaired brain, TIA mini- strokes, no teeth, and looking old and decrepit as F. She just slowly creeps around like an old zombie and has to sit down every few feet. She's still alive, however. A bunch of others I've known from my youth who were smokers are now dead. Just saying.

You mean it is an indicator not a cause of dementia. Walking slowly doesn't make you develop dementia. I noticed my mother walking differently a few years before dignosis, she was bending over when walking.

Never heard about the fast to slow walking. My mom due both knee and both hip replacemen has to walk with a special crutch(underarm) she walks with them stil fast at her 85 years old, but walks more carefully, because is scare of falls(live at the country side alone with a deaf chihuahua!) I live abroad, so I had to pressure her to wear a whistle around her neck, in case of a fall, the next neighbor can hear her whistle for help. She is stil sharp like a knive in her head, slowed because her crutch, I think what keep her decline to ocurring is that she is busy doing orchids gardening(cross-breeding) and learning from internet...she learn with 75 how to use a computer, got her first tablet just befor covid hit and then 2 years I can't visit, she uses whatsapp and now since last year is busy with her smartphone...We have exact the same model and all the apps are in the same place , so in case problems I know what is she looking on hers. Keep our dear ones busy, learning new thing, staying moving, walking, taking care of fragil things like orchids and so on, I think that help them so much.

My walking is slower due to pain when I walk due to spinal stenosis. I still read and study everything from psychology to quantum physics. Don't base one correlation on another correlation and come to a general conclusion. Everyone is different. Sometimes researchers find what they want to find. Correlation is not causation. They should never use the word "may" in any study. It is used much too often. PS I will be 77 at the end of the month.

Is the correlation the same in people with mobility issues such as rheumatoid or osteoarthritis? In those people is it to keep them walking or to encourage/force them to walk faster?

my mother had hip replacement surgery. They made her legs two different lengths and made it difficult for her to walk. NO one was really encouraging her to walk, or walking with her, despite living with another of her children. She did end up with dementia. After she passed, I became bedridden. Best get back up and around.

Thank you for your videos. What a blessing you are. I just discovered you recently and have learned a lot. I noticed a couple years ago that my husband was shuffling his feet when he walked, and had heard that this was a possible early sign of dementia. We have not had him tested other than the short test by his primary care doctor. He was diagnosed at that time with memory loss, but I am sure it is more than that. I think he is in about stage 3 dementia. He is 90 years old. I don't think he would be willing to be tested extensively to make a diagnosis. What is the difference between the kinds of dementia? Everything I have found in the past just linked dementia and Alzheimers. Thank you.

My mom has always walked at a very fast pace up until she was about 84 years. In fact, we would joke about her being “speedy”. In addition, she grew up in a canyon and was always hill climbing with her friends. She said they used to pretend they were Billy goats. Fast forward, Her property is on a hill and we have a hilly trail she can still walk with me. Her name is Millie and she jokes she’s “Millie Goat”. She’s still very ambulatory even though her walking has slowed down. She’s 89 now….with moderate late stage dementia. My friends mom who recently passed at 91 and did not have dementia never liked the idea of walking, period. She said her mom was always very slow moving. Anyhow, I think there are exceptions to the theory.

I didn't know this and now that I do it makes total sense. Thanks!

Had never heard this info

Never heard this before. Thank you.

I’ve heard of this, but I have been a slow walker all my life, I do most things slow and quiet, my family say I’m a ninja. Joking aside I don’t think I have to worry though 63 yrs old. ❤

Can this be correlated with delayed cognitive development (specifically in speech) in young children who are not allowed to crawl, but rather are pushed to walk? It's also been documented that military schools' mandatory marching exercises have a positive and/or remedial impact on cognition and behavior.

It seems that slowed walking is an indicator rather than causation. ✌🏻🇺🇸

Two questions. First, does the slower walking correlate with a loss of strength? Weaker bodies mean more dementia? Second, “The Barbell Prescription” prescribes weight training, can increased strength help improve dementia?

I’ve noticed when I’m at shopping centres how slowly a lot of people walk; even when I’m looking at the displays my walking speed is faster than most.

I haven't read that slow walking can increase dementia. In fact, the people that advocate 10K steps a day, say the speed isn't important. I have always walked kind of fast and if anything, have speeded up a little. I'm 81 and have exercised almost all my life. I have no intention of walking slower. I don't run as fast as I used to, but I can if I want.

I guess my parents are the odd ones out then. Mom motored around extremely quickly and dad extremely slowly due to neuropathy in his fee for decades. Mom got early dementia and dad had none.

I'm 62. I've always walked fast but now I catch myself shuffling along at home. I'm like "pick your feet up girlfriend". When I'm out shopping though I still zoom through the store and the parking lot. Of course I have more room out there, my home's kind of small, so maybe that has something to do with it. Covid and turning 60 hit me at the same time, probably both contribute to the slowness.

I know I can't run any more due to a lower back injury, but, I do walk at a brisk pace and with both arms pumping back and forth! I've become some what of a health nut, from watching videos on YT! As long as the videos make sense, I'll continue to do what sounds right?

Thank you. New sub from Mid TN

Was the study done on otherwise healthy people? ...because there are so many age related or chronic disease related things that cause mobility issues.

I used to walk really fast. I’m noticing the last year I’m walking slower. I’m achy and fatigued. I don’t have a regular doctor as all of mine retired.

It amazes me that studies like this can get the position of the cart and horse out of order. There is a difference between a cause for something and an indicator for something. Obviously some people start walking more slowly because of physical problems, and others walk more slowly out of an increased fear of injury, but let's put that aside for the time being. Let us also put aside important issues like weight gain or muscle atrophy, which can have a significant impact on one's ability to walk at a faster pace. Let's just look at an average person who is starting to get up in years but is otherwise apparently healthy. For such ordinary people, walking more slowly does not make them more likely to get dementia, as the title of the video states. Other things equal, it means that they are already experiencing some level of cognitive impairment to where they cannot comfortably perform all of the necessary steps to walk at the same speed that they used to. This is what I mean by the difference between a cause and an indicator. Slower walking without an apparent cause is an indication that dementia may well be starting to develop. Slower walking is not a risk factor for developing dementia. If it actually was a risk factor in the manner being discussed, then pretty much all we would have to do to help older people avoid dementia would be to encourage them to start walking faster! Of course if we actually did this, we would be putting most of these people at a much greater risk of falling and injuring themselves! Please understand that I am not disputing the link between slower walking and developing dementia, but the way it is being described here in the study and the video is mistaken.

Older people in general tend to walk slower nonetheless good thing to look for if you have no injuries making you walk slower etc.. I walk slower because of a bad back issue/sciatica..I can walk fast but my 4 discs are shot and might cause pain later,so on purpose I walk a bit slower,still average speed overall...I am in shape/workout and was a kick boxer for several years..

Never Heard of that But I know more active lifestyle is a way to Fight off the progression of Dementia. But Thanks For THIS ☺️

Well, yes, I've heard of that; but I've heard of it from ME. I have always suspected that. But I am just a layperson, not a professional in the area. So that also has to be figured into the mix. It just made sense. Suspect. I'm no one special, I just pay attention.

I have heard that a lack of consistent arm swing while walking can indicate a sign of dementia. People with dementia will often stop using their arms when walking. It is normal to swing both arms slightly while walking. If someone recognizes this and corrects their gate, it can help them with thinking processes. My mother had Alzheimer's and it did seem she walked differently

Oh great ! I am 62 and all my family has noticed that I walk slower and I'm very carful with my steps now I'm very worried .

Very interesting. Thank you.

Were studies taking into account orthopedic issues? This is the first time I’ve heard about this, but it makes sense.

I am 74 years old and I am a walker. I have slowed down my walking speed because of greater muscle pain when I walk. After watching this O am worried.

What if a person slows their walking due to other physical ailments...are we to interpret the studies as saying it causes dementia?? Or is slower walking an early indicator of the onset of dementia?