# Fast-Walking Super Movers in Their 80s Cut Cognitive Decline Risk in Half, Study Finds

*2026-07-07 10:03 UTC · Science · 1 min read*

> New research finds people over 80 who walk fastest have roughly half the risk of cognitive decline compared to their slower peers.

A new study of nearly 4,000 adults over 80 found that the fastest walkers among them — dubbed super movers — were about 50% less likely to develop cognitive decline than their slower-moving peers.

Researchers led by Dr. Sofiya Milman at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, with Dr. Joe Verghese of Stony Brook Medicine, defined super movers as the fastest 9% of participants: those with a gait speed at least 1.5 standard deviations above the average for their age group.

Brain scans showed super movers retained more hippocampal volume — the region tied to memory — as they aged. Notably, some super movers carried brain plaques and tangles typically associated with Alzheimers disease yet showed no cognitive symptoms, suggesting fast walking may build resilience against the diseases effects rather than just reflecting a healthier brain to begin with. The findings were published in the journal Neurology.

## Sources

- [kpbs.org](https://www.kpbs.org/news/health/2026/07/06/fast-walkers-in-their-80s-cut-their-risk-of-cognitive-decline-by-half-a-study-finds)
- [npr.org](https://www.npr.org/2026/07/06/nx-s1-5877419/walk-pace-gait-brain-cognitive-health)

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TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/1962-fast-walking-super-movers-in-their-80s-cut-cognitive-decline-risk-in-half-study
Česká verze: https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/2035-rychla-chuze-u-lidi-pres-80-let-snizuje-riziko-kognitivniho-upadku-o-polovinu