Outwalk the Grim Reaper

By Denise Foley for Completely You

We’re all in a race against the Grim Reaper, the personification of death, with his skeletal face, black cowl and ominous scythe. How fast do you have to move to outrun him?

Believe it or not, a group of scientists in Sydney, Australia, decided to find out. Actually, what they were looking for was the speed at which you have to walk in order to live longer. But they published their study in the Christmas issue of the British Medical Journal, where all sorts of whimsy is tolerated once a year, so they framed their scientific investigation in terms of timing old Mr. Death so the rest of us know how to outpace him.

Their conclusion: “The Grim Reaper’s preferred walking speed is 2 miles per hour under working conditions.” They established this with a group of 1,750 men aged 70 or older. “As none of the men in the study with walking speeds of 3 miles per hour or greater had contact with Death, this seems to be the Grim Reaper’s most likely maximum speed,” the researchers wrote. “For those wishing to avoid their allotted fate, this would be the advised walking speed.” Read the study here.

All humor aside (though that’s never a good idea, I think), the study raises an important question: If you can’t motor along at a minimum of 3 mph in your walking shoes, are you in trouble? The researchers think you might be and that you should talk to your doctor about what’s slowing you down. It could be anything from joint pain to heart trouble, and your doc may be able to offer you help to pick up your pace. It may also be a clue that there’s something going on that needs medical attention.

Walking 3 mph is considered moderate-intensity exercise, equivalent to doubles tennis, ballroom dancing, gardening, biking less than 10 mph and water aerobics. You know you’re exercising moderately if you can talk, but not sing, while moving.

If you’re an older adult like the men in this study, and generally fit, you should be exercising at this pace at least two-and-a-half hours a week, interspersing aerobic exercise with muscle-building activities two days a week. Though it sounds like a lot of time, it’s about the time you might spend watching a long movie, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Grim Reaper catches up with all of us eventually. Give him a run (or brisk walk) for his money.
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Denise Foley  
is Completely You’s “News You Can Use” blogger. She is a veteran health writer, the former deputy editor and editor at large of Prevention, and co-author of four books on women’s health and parenting.