Slow walking and ageing 走路慢 老得快？丨随身英语

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12-2019

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科学家们一直在寻找能让人们延长寿命，获得健康幸福生活的方法。本期 “随身英语” 围绕最新的一项研究展开讨论——这项研究称，人们在40多岁时走路的速度是他们的大脑和身体衰老程度的标志。走路速度较慢的人是不是应该加快步伐呢？

走路慢 老得快？？

BY BBC英语教学

你走路快还是慢？为了防衰老你都做过了什么努力？

Getting old might not be something that's yet to cross your mind. But ageing is inevitably going to get the better of us one day, so it's something I'm sure we'd all like control. 

It would be great to have a long, healthy and happy life, and that's why scientists are constantly seeking out evidence that will show us what we need to do to achieve longevity.

We all know that regular exercise is good for us. In recent years we've been told to aim to walk 10,000 steps a day to remain healthy, although other advice to do three brisk 10-minute walks a day is thought to be even more effective. 

But the latest piece of research might put a spring in your step if you're someone who walks at a fast pace. That's because, according to scientists, the speed at which people walk in their 40s is a sign of how much their brains, as well as their bodies, are ageing.

The BBC's Philippa Roxby writes that tests on 1,000 people from New Zealand born in the 1970s found that slower walkers tended to show signs of "accelerated ageing". Their lungs, teeth and immune systems were in worse shape than those who walked faster. 

And to add insult to injury, the study found not only did slower walkers' bodies age more quickly, their faces looked older and they had smaller brains. Professor Terrie E Moffitt, lead author of the study, told the BBC: "[it] found that a slow walk is a problem sign decades before old age."

This might be seen as a wake-up call for people with a slower gait who might feel it's time to work out and get fitter. But it might be too late; researchers writing in JAMA Network Open say they were able to predict the walking speed of 45-year-olds using the results of intelligence, language and motor skills tests from when they were aged three. They also suggest that even in early life, there are signs showing which people will go on to have a healthier life.

So, what's the point of knowing that a slower walking pace might mean a smaller brain? Well, researchers say measuring walking speed at a younger age, and understanding what this might mean, could be a way of testing treatments to slow human ageing. 

This might help us make lifestyle changes while we're still young and healthy. Any steps we can take to prolong a good mental and physical state is a no brainer!

词汇表

to cross sb's mind 

（念头）闪现，想起

ageing 

衰老

to get the better of sb 

击败

longevity

英 /lɒnˈdʒevəti/美 /lɔːnˈdʒevəti/

 长寿

brisk 

英 /brɪsk/美 /brɪsk/

轻快的

effective 

英 /ɪˈfektɪv/美 /ɪˈfektɪv/

有效的

a spring in your step

步伐轻快

fast pace 

快节奏，快步伐

brains 

大脑

a slower walker 

走路速度慢的人

accelerated ageing 

英 /ək'seləreɪtɪd/美 /ək'seləreitid/

加速老化

immune system 

英 /ɪˈmjuːn/美 /ɪˈmjuːn/

免疫系统

lung 

肺部

in worse shape

 情况更糟糕

to add insult to injury 

往伤口撒盐

a wake-up call 

警示

gait 

英 /ɡeɪt/美 /ɡeɪt/

步伐，步态

work out 

锻炼身体

treatment 

英 /ˈtriːtmənt/美 /ˈtriːtmənt/

治疗方法

make lifestyle changes

 改变生活习惯

a no brainer 

容易理解的事情

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