As a neurologist, Dr. Joe Verghese is dedicated to finding creative strategies for a healthier brain, especially when it helps you simplify your exercise routine.

“I don’t always enjoy exercising or the idea of ​​having to do it regularly,” she told Business Insider.

In pursuit of a healthier brain, she’s tried everything from balance tests to ballroom dancing (after her studies found it can help prevent dementia).

Now, the Stony Brook University researcher aims to become a “super mover,” a rare demographic of people 80 and older who walk at an exceptionally fast speed for their age and live exceptionally long, healthy lives..

According to their studies, persistent speed can have a protective effect on the brain and body, Verghese said.

By studying them, he hopes to learn not only how our bodies and minds deteriorate as we age, but also what we can do about it.

“Aspiring to move fast, to be a super mover is a good thing because it not only has benefits for the brain, but also for the rest of the body,” he said.

Move fast, age slow

Super movers are defined as people who can keep up with someone decades younger, such as an 80-year-old who walks at the speed of an average 50-year-old, Verghese explained.

Their most recent study, published in the journal Neurology, found that people who move a lot are 50% less likely to develop cognitive decline than their peers. Another of their studies found that super movers had a younger biological age than their age would suggest, and lower rates of heart disease, symptoms of depression, and hearing loss.

Brisk walking has long been linked to longevity, so it wasn’t a surprise. What was intriguing, Verghese said, were the autopsy results of people who died during the study. After death, people who moved a lot were just as likely to show age-related wear and tear in their brain tissue as their peers who walked more slowly. However, on average, they showed fewer symptoms of cognitive decline over their lifetime.

Verghese was inspired to look for moving super people based on previous research on super-aged people, people who retain the physical and mental agility of someone much younger, in part due to lucky genetics. And as with super-motors, studies on the brains of the super-aged have similar rates of decline on average, with fewer symptoms.

However, only 19% of people who move a lot are also elderly. That suggests there may be multiple strategies to protect the brain from aging, Verghese said. More research could help provide personalized recommendations for an anti-aging plan.

“You may have some unique resilience mechanisms that might prevent you from showing those effects,” he said.

Powerful walking for a healthy brain

Most importantly, you may not need to win the genetic lottery to be a super mover.

Verghese found evidence that people who moved a lot were fast before they turned 80. While genetics are likely to play a role, getting comfortable with a fast walking pace now will make you more likely to maintain it and become a much more mobile person later, he said.

To walk toward longevity, your pace should be around 3 miles per hour, studies suggest, and faster may be better.

Aim for at least 30 minutes a day, in line with the CDC’s recommended 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week.

“You don’t have to do all 30 minutes at once. You can break it up. 10 minutes is better than zero minutes,” Verghese said.