A longevity researcher says everyone's too obsessed with living forever. Here are his 2 anti-aging habits instead.

 I can do the restricted eating, I'm close with only 1 meal a day. Heavy exercise; NO, because my doctor and therapists COMPLETELY FAILED AT GETTING ME 100% RECOVERED!

My doctor assumed NO RESPONSIBILITY for my recovery by writing three prescriptions of E.T.(Evaluate and Treat) to my OT, PT and ST! If yours does that; fire them immediately and get them fired for incompetence! I could easily train a chimpanzee for that task.

A longevity researcher says everyone's too obsessed with living forever. Here are his 2 anti-aging habits instead.

• Dr. Steven Austad is the scientific director of the American Federation for Aging Research.
• Austad believes too many people are obsessed with longevity, focusing on dubious trends.
• Austad follows 2 habits for his health: heavy exercise and time-restricted eating.

Dr. Steven Austad, the scientific director of a nonprofit researching healthy aging, never fretted too deeply about his own longevity.

"I used to train lions for a living," Austad told Business Insider. "It was not something that you would do if you were thinking about living a long time."

Prior to his career at the American Federation for Aging Research, Austad was a biologist who focused on field work in places like Venezuela and East Africa. He became interested in aging research not because he wanted to crack the code to living forever, but to learn why healthy cells age at all. When he entered the field, he said many researchers had the same question, and were not necessarily motivated by extending their own lifespans.

Things have changed since, as more people pursue anti-aging trends — often, Austad said, with dubious science backing the claims. "I'm not one of those people who spends an hour a day in a hyperbaric chamber or gets infusions of some weird protein-vitamin cocktail," he said. "But in fact, I'm quite healthy, despite the years I spent in the field, and I had malaria."

For example, Austad doesn't take supplements, citing a lack of strong-enough evidence of their guaranteed longevity benefits, and he enjoys a glass of wine here and there. "If you spend all your time thinking about how long you're going to live, you kind of forget to live," he said.

Related video: Arnold Schwarzenegger's 5 daily habits that could add years to your life (Bodybuilding Bros)Austad shared a few simple longevity habits he's followed for years, which he said are both science-backed and "basically the things that my mother probably told me."

He exhausts himself at the gym

When Austad was a field biologist, he traveled to Papua New Guinea. Upon landing, his group had to climb to the top of a mountain. The village headman gave Austad's bag to his 12-year-old daughter to carry, because Austad would "slow them down too much." Offended at first, Austad was grateful to be baggage-free an hour later. He was also stunned by the girl's level of fitness.

"To me, that was a window into what our bodies evolved to be like," he said. The villagers never had osteoporosis or other conditions caused by sedentary lifestyles.

It's a huge reason he prioritizes serious exercise almost every day of the week.

"I am kind of a gym rat," Austad said. Because of an old lion injury on his knee, he bikes for his cardio, ranging from 40 minutes to an hour and a half. He also prioritizes strength training, alternating areas of his body and always including some core exercises.

Research shows many benefits of exercise. "It used to be that we thought this exercise good for your heart and lungs, good for your muscles, keeping your bones strong," Austad said. "Now we know there are cognitive benefits, there are immune benefits, there are all kinds of benefits that we never appreciated."

One of the biggest ones for him is quality sleep, so much so that he sets strict boundaries around his workout time. "I don't have great sleep unless I physically exhaust myself, and I just figure I have to live with that."

He only eats twice a day

Austad was practicing time-restricted eating, a form of intermittent fasting, before it became trendy in the longevity space. It felt like his "natural rhythm" to eat a late breakfast around 11 a.m., skip lunch, and finish the day with dinner around 6 or 7 p.m.

"Now, recently it's come out that there are all kinds of health benefits associated with that kind of timing, and I'm kind of embarrassed that I didn't appreciate that earlier," he said.

Intermittent fasting schedules vary and can potentially be risky, according to some studies. Austad's schedule aligns with his circadian rhythm, which researchers believe can improve metabolic health.

He recalled speaking at a calorie restriction conference and attending the banquet after. "It was basically leaves and nuts and zero-calorie dressing," he said. "Even if it made you healthier, and I'm not convinced that it does, it's just too much for me."

If you enjoyed this story, be sure to follow Business Insider on MSN.

Walking is good for you. Walking backward can add to the benefits

 Didn't your fuckingly incompetent doctor have you doing this a decade ago? Or is yours so incompetent all they can write is E.T(Evaluate and Treat) to all the therapists? I could train a chimpanzee to do that! NO, SO COMPLETELY FUCKING INCOMPENT? And you're still paying them for shit?

backward walking (15 posts to April 2015)

Walking is good for you. Walking backward can add to the benefits

Here’s a simple way to switch up your walking routine, according to experts: try going backward.

Taking a brisk walk is an exercise rich in simplicity, and it can have impressive mental and physical benefits: stronger bones and muscles, cardiovascular fitness and stress relief, to name a few. But like any workout, hoofing it for your health may feel repetitive and even boring after a while.

Backward walking, also known as retro walking or reverse walking, could add variety and value to an exercise routine, when done safely. Turning around not only provides a change of view, but also puts different demands on your body.

Janet Dufek, a biomechanist and faculty member at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has researched the mechanics of both walking and landing from jumps to identify ways of preventing injuries and improving physical performance. And as a former college basketball player and a regular exerciser, she’s also done her fair share of backward walking.

In humans, reverse locomotion can increase hamstring flexibility, strengthen underused muscles and challenges the mind as the body adjusts to a new movement and posture.

“I see a lot of people in my neighborhood and they walk, and that’s good,” she said. “But they are still stressing the same elements of their structure over and over again. Walking backward introduces an element of cross-training, a subtly different activity.”

On the treadmill

Kevin Patterson, a personal trainer in Nashville, Tennessee, recommends the treadmill as the safest place to retro walk. You can adjust it to a slow speed. However, Patterson likes to turn off the treadmill — termed the “dead mill” — and have clients propel the belt on their own.

“It can take a while to get the treadmill going, but from there we have them be the horsepower for the treadmill,” he said.

Patterson said he uses backward walking with all his clients as an “accessory exercise” — a weight-training term for add-on movements designed to work a specific muscle group — or during warm-ups. The activity typically makes up a small part of the workouts, he said.

“The treadmill is great for older clients because you have the handles on the side and you reduce that risk of falling,” he said.

Off the treadmill

Dufek suggests working a one-minute segment of backward walking into a 10-minute walk and adding time and distance as you get comfortable.

You can also do it with a partner; face each other, perhaps clasp hands. One person walks backward, and the other strolls forward and watches for problems. Then switch positions.

“At first, you start really, really slowly because there’s a balance accommodation and there is brain retraining. You are learning a new skill,” Dufek said. “You’re using muscles in different ways.”

If you work your way up to running and get really good at it, you can try running a marathon backward — 26.2 miles or 42.2 kilometers. Yes, people have done that.

Backward walking as cross-training

Dufek classifies backward walking as a form of cross-training, or incorporating a mix of moves into a fitness program. Doing a range of exercises can help prevent overuse injuries, which can occur after repeatedly using the same muscle groups.

For many people, cross-training involves different activities and types of exercise: for example, running one day, swimming the next, and strength training on a third day. But the modifications required to walk backward work in the same way, but on a micro level.

Do small tweaks make much of a difference? Once an avid runner, Dufek said she had several pairs of running shoes and did not wear the same pair two days in a row.

“The shoes had a different level of wear, a different design,” she said. “Just by changing that one element, in this case footwear, it would provide a slightly different stress to the system.”

Retro walking as rehabilitation

Physical therapists instruct some of their clients to reverse walk, which can be useful after knee injuries or for people in rehabilitation or recovering from surgery.

“Backward walking is very different than forward walking from a force perspective, from a movement pattern perspective,” Dufek explained. Instead of landing heel first, “you strike the forefoot first, often quite gently, and often the heel does not contact the ground.”

“This reduces of the range of motion in the knee joint, which allows for activity without stressing the (knee) joint,” Dufek said.

Backward walking also stretches the hamstring muscles, the group of muscles at the back of the thigh. Dufek is interested in finding out if it improves balance and reduces fall risks in older adults by activating more senses of the body.

Athletes do it naturally

There is nothing unnatural about backward walking. In fact, backward running is a key skill for top athletes.

Basketball players do it. So do soccer players. American football players — particularly the defensive backs — do it continually.

“I played basketball and I probably spent 40% of my time playing defense and running backwards,” Dufek said.

___

Experts call for integration of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation into standard stroke care

My PMR doctor knew nothing and did nothing to get me recovered. As proof, he wrote three prescriptions of E. T.(Evaluate and Treat) to the OT, PT and ST; meaning he knew absolutely nothing about stroke recovery. I could train a chimpanzee to do that.

 Experts call for integration of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation into standard stroke care

Sleep Learning: How Synapses Strengthen While We Rest

Since 30% of survivors have sleep problems, has your doctor done ONE DAMN THING about it in the last 5 years? NO? So, you don't have a functioning stroke doctor, do you?

Is your doctor suggesting either of these? Never mind, way too soon for your doctor to read, understand and implement these interventions. Maybe 50 years from now. Of course your doctor needs to get this testing done on stroke survivors if they are competent at all!

Effects of saffron on sleep quality in healthy adults with self-reported poor sleep: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial June 2020

Pink Noise Machines Improve Sleep & Fight Dementia  June 2020

 Or is your doctor so incompetent that s/he is not even trying to create recovery protocols for stroke survivors? Mine knew nothing and did nothing as proven by writing three prescriptions of E.T.(Evaluate and Treat to the therapists. I could train a chimp to do that!

In my opinion competence is immediately installing protocols upon published research. Does your incompetent? doctor think that is too high a bar? FIRE THEM! And if your doctor is still there after doing nothing your board of directors is completely incompetent!

 The latest here:

Sleep Learning: How Synapses Strengthen While We Rest

Summary: New research reveals how synaptic connections in the cerebral cortex can strengthen during sleep, offering insight into how the brain continues learning even while we rest. Using computer simulations, researchers demonstrated that synaptic activity during sleep follows known “synaptic learning rules” when neural activity reaches specific thresholds.

This means that under certain conditions, learning can occur during sleep—a concept long speculated but now theoretically supported. The findings may also shed light on sleep-related brain disorders and pave the way for new strategies in cognitive health and memory enhancement.

Key Facts:

• Sleep-Driven Plasticity: Synaptic strength can increase during sleep if certain activity thresholds and learning rules are met.
• Theoretical Sleep Learning: The study predicts conditions under which “sleep learning” is scientifically plausible.
• Clinical Relevance: Insights could inform understanding and treatment of sleep-linked brain disorders like neuropsychiatric diseases.

Source: Japan Science and Technology Agency

In the cerebral cortex, numerous neurons exchange information through junctions known as synapses. The strength of each synaptic connection changes depending on the activity levels of the neurons involved, and these changes are thought to form the basis of learning and memory.

There are several established principles governing the relationship between neuronal activity patterns and changes in synaptic strength, referred to as “synaptic learning rules” (1).

Although it is well known that sleep plays a crucial role in learning and memory, how synaptic connections are altered during sleep has remained unclear.

A research group led by Professor Hiroki Ueda of the Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, has demonstrated that the strength of synaptic connections in the cerebral cortex during sleep changes depending on synaptic learning rules and the level of neuronal activity during sleep.

They revealed that it was possible to theoretically predict the conditions under which “sleep learning ⁽²⁾ ” may occur.

The researchers used computational simulations to reproduce the activity of neural networks composed of various types of interconnected neurons, and they investigated changes in synaptic connections during the neural activity observed in the sleep-wake states.

These results showed that synaptic connections in the cerebral cortex are strengthened during sleep when specific levels of neural activity were accompanied by typical synaptic learning rules.

This finding clarified the conditions under which synaptic strengthening can occur even during sleep, thereby enabling theoretical predictions of when “sleep learning” is possible.

Based on these predictions, these insights are expected to lead to a deeper understanding of the relationship between sleep, learning and memory.

Moreover, they may contribute to elucidating the mechanisms of brain disorders associated with sleep disturbances, such as neuropsychiatric conditions.

These findings were published in the online version of the American scientific journal PLOS Biology on June 12, 2025.

This result was achieved in the Ueda Biological Timing Project, a research area of the Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology (ERATO) by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). Under this project, JST pursues “systems biology for understanding humans” using the sleep-wake rhythm as a model system and aims to understand information on “biological time,” which transcends from molecules to individual humans livingin society.

Notes:

(*1) Synaptic learning rules

Rules that describe how the strength of synaptic connections between neurons changes depending on the timing and frequency of neural activity. Examples include Hebbian rule and spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP).

(*2) Sleep learning

The enhancement of memory and learning performance through the organization and integration of new information by the brain during sleep.

About this sleep and learning research news

Author: Satomi Kobayashi
Source: Japan Science and Technology Agency
Contact: Satomi Kobayashi – Japan Science and Technology Agency
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News

Original Research: Open access.
“A unified framework to model synaptic dynamics during the sleep–wake cycle” by Hiroki Ueda et al. PLOS Biology

Music actively reshapes the brain in real time, study finds

 You probably want this, so let's see how long your doctor has been incompetent in not providing music protocols.

You can call your hospital president and ask when competent personnel will be hired. Your doctor writing prescriptions of E.T. (Evaluate and Treat) is the first sign of pure incompetence!

• music (94 posts back to March 2011)

• music therapy (53 posts back to October 2014)

• musical training (13 posts back to June 2014)

• singing (12 posts to July 2013)

Music actively reshapes the brain in real time, study finds

Listening to rhythm isn’t passive—your brain reshapes in real time, building new networks and syncing waves to match the beat.

Rebecca Shavit

Published Jun 16, 2025 3:07 PM PDT

New study shows how sound reshapes brainwaves in real time using a new imaging method called FREQ-NESS. (CREDIT: Adobe Stock)

When a sound repeats steadily—like a drumbeat, a bell, or even a clock ticking—it doesn’t just echo in your ears. Deep inside your brain, something far more interesting happens. Instead of just hearing, your brain reshapes itself in real time. That’s the striking finding of a new study by researchers at Aarhus University and the University of Oxford.

Best Core Exercises for Stroke Patients by Flint Rehab

 Of course, your competent? doctor already had these for your needs? NO? So, you DON'T have a functioning stroke doctor, do you? Mine did nothing, as proven by writing three prescriptions of E.T.(Evaluate and Treat) to the therapists. 

Best Core Exercises for Stroke Patients

Recovery from strokes made easy

 My PMR(physical medicine and rehabilitation) doctor knew nothing about stroke recovery. He just wrote three prescriptions for E.T.(Evaluate and Treat) to my PT, OT and ST. I could train a chimp to do that. If he knew anything about stroke recovery it didn't show.

Recovery from strokes made easy

As the probability of getting strokes becomes higher, especially among young adults, the need of the hour is a good rehabilitation centre. CE speaks to experts at HCAH, a first-of-its-kind rehabilitation centre in the city.

Pic for representation

Shreya Veronica

Updated on: 

25 Mar 2025, 8:30 pm

Suffering a stroke is an indescribably painful and difficult experience. But if you are in the hands of experienced doctors who administer effective and modern treatments, you will be back on your feet in no time. With this in mind, HCAH, a first-of-its-kind rehabilitation centre in Hyderabad, is ready to provide a dedicated Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) team for stroke recovery. They conducted a session to explain what they do in the city, after which Dr Gaurav Thukral, co-founder and COO of HCAH, and Dr Aastik Bhatt, a leading specialist in neuro rehabilitation and physical medicine at HCAH, decoded it all for CE.

Dr Gaurav said, “Hyderabad is known for its rehabilitation hospitals, with 25 to 30 such hospitals in the city. But they are not properly equipped. What we are doing is strengthening our forces by getting doctors who are trained to aid in recovery and rehabilitation. These doctors, called physical medicine and rehab specialists, are not therapists but are doctors who have done their MD.”

He added that these doctors are trained to treat patients with strokes, spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and head injuries. The doctor guides the team on which part of the body needs which type of therapy, such as speech therapy for speech-related issues, physiotherapy for strengthening the limbs, and cognitive therapy for rewiring the brain.

“We use AI to predict and facilitate recovery.(AI is almost completely worthless until the underlying research for 100% recovery is there!) Unlike regular physiotherapy sessions, these interactive robotics give patients confidence in their recovery. They also stimulate the brain, leading to a speedier recovery,” he explained, adding that there are three or four subsets of patients who will use this. The first group is stroke patients, the second is head injury patients, the third is spinal injury patients, and the fourth includes those with painful conditions such as frozen shoulder, lower back pain, and cervical pain.

Dr Gaurav pointed out that they have machines such as Rapid, Exo-Skeleton, and Balance Lab. “Usually, hospitals which have high-end doctors and equipment also offer costlier treatments. However, it is the opposite at HCAH because patients stay for fewer days at the centre, reducing expenses. These doctors and machines are also available on an OPD basis, allowing patients to avoid room rental costs,” he stated.

Elaborating on how this rehab helps stroke patients, he said, “Nobody predicts a stroke or a road accident, but when it happens, we find ourselves trapped in our own bodies, confined to a bed, longing to walk again and return to our jobs. The two main goals are regaining independence and reducing medical expenses, both of which are possible here.”

Regarding whether there would be complete recovery or any side effects, he noted, “What we want is complete recovery,(Have you initiated the research to get to 100% recovery? Right now only 10% fully recover, all the rest of this paragraph is a lie!) but that is only possible if you come to the recovery centre as soon as possible. After a stroke, there is what we call the ‘golden period’ — the sooner you arrive, the sooner your brain starts rewiring and sending signals to the muscles that need to be activated. This process is combined with medication, equipment, and medical supervision. However, if patients go home and return after six months, the golden period is already over, making complete recovery much more difficult.”

Dr Aastik Bhatt stressed the need to expand rehabilitation services, explaining, “Timely rehabilitation is crucial for stroke recovery, yet many centres remain inaccessible or unaffordable. At HCAH, we have built a specialised PMR team, integrating AI-powered rehabilitation tools and robotic-assisted therapy to deliver precise, customised treatment. This ensures that every stroke patient receives holistic, multidisciplinary care tailored to their recovery needs.”

Exploring the Potential of Polyrhythmic Entrainment for Cognitive Enhancement and Neuroplasticity

Your competent? doctor can just add this music on top of the protocols they already have you doing for the past decade. Oh, you don't have music protocols, do you? Well fucking incompetency reigns again. How long has your doctor been incompetent? You can call your hospital president and ask when competent personnel will be hired. Your doctor writing prescriptions of E.T.(Evaluate and Treat) is the first sign of pure incompetence!

• music (94 posts back to March 2011)

• music therapy (53 posts back to October 2014)

• musical training (13 posts back to June 2014)

• singing (12 posts to July 2013)

 Exploring the Potential of Polyrhythmic Entrainment for Cognitive
Enhancement and Neuroplasticity

Adam B. Lewartowski1,2,*, Karolina Finc1

1 Centre for Modern Interdisciplinary Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

2Interdisciplinary Doctoral School of Social Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

*Correspondence: lewartowski@doktorant.umk.pl

Abstract

Polyrhythms—the simultaneous layering of multiple rhythmic patterns—are a defining

feature of musical complexity across cultures. Yet, their significance extends far beyond

music. By examining polyrhythms in neural oscillations, body physiology, and movement

coordination, we highlight their role in cognitive flexibility, executive function, and

sensorimotor adaptation. We further discuss how polyrhythmic engagement can enhance

neuroplasticity, improve attention and memory, and support motor learning and

rehabilitation. Finally, we propose future research directions to investigate the broader

implications of entrainment to polyrhythms for cognitive and physiological optimization.

By reframing polyrhythms as a cross-domain mechanism, this article opens new avenues for

studying their impact on perception, action, and learning across multiple disciplines.

1. Introduction

Polyrhythms, the simultaneous layering of multiple rhythmic patterns, are a hallmark of musical

complexity across cultures. From African drumming traditions to contemporary jazz and electronic

music, they challenge performers and listeners to perceive and process multiple temporal structures at

once (London, 2012). Their significance, however, extends far beyond the realm of music. Rhythm, in its

most fundamental sense, is not just an artistic construct but a basic principle of organiziation of

biological and cognitive systems (Large & Snyder, 2009; Kwak et al., 2022).

In the brain, polyrhythmic structures reflect the interactions between neural oscillations across

different frequencies, forming the foundation for cognitive functions such as attention, memory, and

motor coordination (Buzsáki, 2006; Fries, 2005). Neural rhythms operate in a hierarchical and dynamic

manner, where slower oscillations modulate faster ones, supporting multi-scale integration of

information across neural networks (Canolty & Knight, 2010; Arnal & Giraud, 2012). This rhythmic

coordination is not limited to the brain. It extends throughout the body, where polyrhythmic patterns

emerge in respiration, heart rate variability, and motor coordination, facilitating sensorimotor

integration and autonomic regulation (Thaut, 2015).

The intricate organization of rhythmic interactions raises an intriguing possibility: Could

engaging with polyrhythms—through music, movement, or cognitive training—enhance brain function

and neuroplasticity? Research suggests that rhythmic training can improve executive function, working

memory, and motor learning, particularly in populations with neurological disorders (Repp & Su, 2013;

Tierney & Kraus, 2014). Moreover, rhythmic entrainment has been explored in therapeutic contexts,

such as Parkinson’s disease rehabilitation and cognitive training for ADHD (Nombela et al., 2013;

Morillon & Baillet, 2017).

In this perspective article, we explore polyrhythms as a cross-domain mechanism that could link

music cognition, neuroscience, and embodied cognition. We examine their role in neural oscillations,

body physiology, and cognitive flexibility, considering how they might be harnessed for neurocognitive

enhancement and therapeutic applications. By reframing polyrhythms as more than a musical

phenomenon, we open new avenues for research into their potential to shape perception, cognition, and

human performance.

More at link.

What your walking speed can tell you about your health

 Will your competent? doctor acknowledge that they have NOTHING TO GET YOU 100% RECOVERED! My doctor knew nothing and did nothing as proven by the three prescriptions he wrote: (Evaluate and Treat). If your doctor is the same; RUN AWAY as fast as possible, s/he has nothing to get you recovered!

I have no idea what my walking speed is, but I can easily do 5 miles each day.

And this tells us nothing about the speed required! 
useless!

What your walking peed can tell you about your health

If there’s one activity that deserves its shiny health halo, it’s walking. It’s a low-impact activity that breaks up dreaded sedentary time. It’s free to do, and it even helps you manage everything from your heart health to your weight to your risk of diabetes. One thing you may not have considered while aiming to hit your daily step goal, however, is that your walking speed can also be considered a vital sign.

So what are vital signs? According to Dr. Marie Therese Kanagie-McAleese, a physician at the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, vital signs “provide information on the basic physiologic functioning of the body.” It’s something doctors look at during an annual check-up, such as your body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate and blood pressure. Oxygen saturation, which measures how much oxygen your blood is carrying, is also often included, as is weight, albeit not without some controversy.

Together, vital signs offer a snapshot of your overall health and may help identify potential issues — although it should be noted that just because one sign is off its normal target, that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a larger overall problem.

How fast do people typically walk?

According to a 2020 study, how fast you walk depends on your age and biological sex, with men walking slightly faster than women. In general, individuals under 30 walk at an average speed of 3 miles per hour. Those aged 30 to 39, as well as 40 to 49, walk at an average speed of 2.8 mph. People 50 to 59 average 2.75 mph, while those over 60 move at 2.7 mph. After age 65, people tend to walk at an average speed of 2.1 mph.

Why is walking speed a marker of health?

Multiple studies have shown that walking speed is a viable marker of our health — but what makes gait so important? The simplest reason: having the ability to walk at a faster pace is an indicator that you’re in good physical shape.

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According to Dr. Anthony Giuffrida, a specialist in interventional spine and pain management at the Cantor Spine Center in Fla., those who walk quickly show “strong muscle strength, coordination and neuromuscular function,” as well as “efficient heart and lung function.”

On the flip side, people who struggle to walk at a quick pace may be limited because of certain health conditions, such as arthritis, heart disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Peggy Cawthon, a scientific director at Sutter Health's California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute who studied the correlation between gait and health, tells Yahoo Life that there’s also a connection between your cognitive abilities and walking quickly.

“We do a lot of tests of older people to measure cognitive function in a bunch of different domains, and walking speed is strongly related to how well your brain is working,” Cawthon says. “People who have cognitive impairment walk slower than people who are cognitively normal.”

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The reason for this, Cawthon says, is that “walking is such a complex task.” If you have a cognitive impairment, it’s harder to figure out how to “put one step in front of the other and continue to walk quickly,” she notes. So if you’re unable to walk quickly or normally, it could possibly indicate cognitive issues — such as a disease like Parkinson’s, for example.

Why you should walk more

Your walking speed can indicate health concerns, but it’s also important to note that walking — and, in particular, walking at a brisk pace — can help ward off future health issues.

Walking is an easy way to incorporate more movement into your life — and increasing your pace is one way to ramp up the intensity of your exercise, which is important for improving cardiovascular health, boosting metabolism and supporting overall physical fitness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, per week, along with two days of muscle-strengthening activities.

“One of the common questions I get from people is, ‘So if I walk faster, does that mean I'm going to live longer?’ And the answer is: Well, maybe,” Cawthon says. But she stresses that simply trying to “walk really fast” isn’t the ultimate goal. Instead, increasing your walking speed by improving your fitness or losing weight can have “longer-term benefits on your health.”

VIDEO: Neurology is becoming a ‘truly interventional specialty,’ ANA president says

 

I don't think I ever talked to a neurologist ever, I had a PMR doctor who knew nothing about recovery as proven by writing three prescriptions of E.T.(Evaluate and Treat). Here is an opinion of neurologists you won't like:

Are Neurologists Respected? Read and weep. 

In this video(at link), M. Elizabeth Ross, MD, PhD, FANA, president of the American Neurological Association, spoke with Healio about her favorite takeaway from the ANA Annual Meeting in Orlando.

“We’re transforming from a neurological specialty, where we make the diagnosis and can’t offer much after that, to a truly interventional specialty with many tools at our command,” said Ross, who is also director of the Center for Neurogenetics at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Sources/Disclosures

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Source: Healio interviews

Disclosures: Ross reports being an editorial board member of Annals of Neurology and Neurology Genetics, Chair of the NIH-CHHD-C study section, and President of the American Neurological Association.