Between 4% and 16% of Americans aged 65 years old and older are dealing with frailty, causing them to lose their strength, mobility, and independence.1 Not only does it make everyday life harder, but it also causes them to recover from illnesses slower.
Studies have also found that frailty prolongs hospital stays and doubles the risk of surgical complications. It’s also a compounding factor on why elderly people are moved to nursing homes or assisted care facilities.2
Defining Frailty
Frailty is a condition that affects many seniors today. News-Medical.net defines it as “a clinical condition in older adults characterized by increased vulnerability to health stressors and a higher risk of adverse outcomes, such as disability and hospitalization.”3
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, to determine if you have this condition, you need to have at least three of these symptoms:4,5,6
- Losing 10 pounds or more in the last year without trying
- Having a weak grip or trouble standing up without assistance
- You’re constantly exhausted, and doing simple tasks takes twice the effort
- Low activity levels, such as exercise, household chores, or even enjoyable hobbies
- A slow walking speed (it takes you more than six or seven seconds to walk 15 feet)
The good news is that frailty can be delayed, prevented, or even reversed — and small adjustments in your day-to-day habits will help improve your mobility. For example, one study found that how fast you walk could have a significant impact on how frailty affects you.
Faster Steps Lead to Noticeable Gains in Function Among the Elderly
A recent study published in PLOS One investigated whether older adults living with frailty could meaningfully improve their physical function by increasing their walking cadence (the number of steps you take per minute).7 Conducted by researchers from the University of Chicago, the study made use of structured walking programs to identify whether walking faster has clinically significant gains in real-world mobility.8
“People who haven’t experienced frailty can’t imagine how big a difference it makes to be able to not get tired going to the grocery store or not need to sit down while they’re out,” said Dr. Daniel Rubin, an anesthesiologist from the University of Chicago and the study’s lead author.9
• The study was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial — It was conducted between 2017 and 2022 and involved 102 participants from 14 retirement communities in Chicago. The participants were aged 60 or older, and were classified as either prefrail or frail.
• The study also involved participants in a prefrail state — As its name implies, prefrailty is the period before frailty. This is when seniors have a higher risk of nutritional deficiencies, cognitive decline, physical impairment, and socioeconomic disadvantages. In this study, both frail and prefrail participants were still able to walk at least 10 feet with no more than moderate assistance.
• The participants were divided into two groups — During supervised sessions, one group was asked to walk at a comfortable, self-selected pace; they were called the casual speed walking (CSW) group. The other was instructed to walk “as fast as safely possible” — this was the high-intensity walking (HIW) group. The goal for the HIW group was to increase cadence by a specific number of steps per minute and hold that pace consistently throughout the program.
• The program ran for over four months — The participants attended 48 supervised walking sessions, each lasting 45 minutes. The sessions were divided into three phases:
◦ Acclimation — The participants were able to become comfortable with the routine and followed a steady walking pattern.
◦ Ramp-up — Intensity increased, and those in the HIW group were guided to reach 70% of their maximum heart rate, a level considered moderate-to-vigorous intensity for older adults.
◦ Intervention — The full training goals were applied consistently — the participants maintained their target pace and intensity over the remainder of the program, continuing to receive motivational prompts to keep cadence high.
• By the end of the study period, the median cadence for the HIW group reached 100 steps per minute — This was a significant difference compared to just 77 in the CSW group.10 The researchers also found that 65% of those in the HIW group improved their six-minute walk distance by at least 30 meters, which is considered a meaningful change in functional capacity for frail adults. Only 39% of the slower group reached that same benchmark.
“What we ended up finding was that those who are able to walk faster, particularly at a cadence 14 steps per minute faster than their usual pace, were more likely to improve in their mobility or endurance or function,” Rubin said.
“In particular, we were targeting to try to really improve (people’s) mobility and their function, just because prefrail and frail older adults tend to be a little bit more limited, at least in the concept of physical frailty.”11
Yet Another Reason to Incorporate Walking Into Your Daily Routine
The mechanism behind these results is rooted in the way walking benefits your well-being. Walking is a low-impact and moderate-intensity exercise that you can do virtually anywhere for free. It doesn’t require any special skills, equipment, or a gym membership — all you need is a comfortable pair of shoes. It’s easy to integrate into most people’s routines, regardless of fitness level or age, including those in their golden years. And now, you can further intensify the effects by increasing your steps.
• The benefits of brisk walking are multifaceted — Walking by itself engages your cardiovascular, muscular, and nervous systems simultaneously. But when you increase cadence, you amp it up further, as your muscles contract more frequently, building endurance in the lower body.
• Increasing your steps also elevates your heart rate to a moderate intensity zone — It helps improve blood flow and oxygen delivery to working muscles. Over repeated sessions, this increased demand conditions your heart, lungs, and muscles to handle greater loads without fatigue.
• Even a modest amount of walking significantly boosts longevity — According to a study published in JAMA Network Open, adults who walked 8,000 steps or more within one or two days a week had a notably lower risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.12
• Moderate exercises like walking contribute to a dose-dependent decreased risk of chronic diseases and illnesses — These include diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, coronary disease, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, falls, and more. According to an article in the journal GeroScience:
“Walking decreases the risk or severity of various health outcomes such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, cognitive impairment and dementia, while also improving mental well-being, sleep and longevity …
Walking’s favorable effects on cardiovascular risk factors are attributed to its impact on circulatory, cardiopulmonary and immune function. Meeting current physical activity guidelines by walking briskly for 30 minutes per day for 5 days can reduce the risk of several age-associated diseases.”13
For more information on how walking benefits your health, read my article “The Benefits of Walking — How to Get More Steps in This Summer.”
So How Do You Measure and Improve Your Walking Cadence?
The first step is to identify your baseline by measuring the number of steps you take every minute. From there, increase your pace slightly, finding a level that allows you to walk faster but still feel comfortable.14
• A smartphone app designed to measure walking cadence is in the works — Rubin and his team are in the process of creating “Walk Test,” an app that is specially designed to accurately measure walking cadence. According to validation testing results, the app was able to count steps per minute with impressive accuracy.
“We didn’t necessarily trust smartphones’ built-in analytics. Instead, we built an app that uses a novel open-source method to analyze the data measured by the phone and lets us actively engage users in brief, deliberate walking tests, ensuring accurate measurement,” Rubin said.15
• Walk Test was also designed to be accessible and user-friendly, especially to older audiences — As Rubin notes, “We wanted to make it as low-barrier as possible so it’s easy for older adults to use without additional equipment. The people who need the most help are usually the least well-equipped to get started.”
• Consider using a metronome app — Often used by musicians, this is a tool that produces a steady beat so they can maintain their rhythm while playing an instrument. Since the Walk Test is still in the works and is not yet released to the public, this type of app will allow you to match your steps to a consistent beat.
Practical Steps to Address the Root Causes of Frailty
If you are starting to notice signs of slowing down, the most important thing is to address what’s driving that loss of strength, stamina, and independence. With the right daily habits, you’ll be able to rebuild resilience from the ground up. These are some steps I recommend — They target the cause, not just the symptoms.
1. Increase your walking cadence gradually — Start by measuring your normal walking pace — count how many steps you take in one minute. Then, add about 5 steps per minute for a week or two, and build toward adding 14 extra steps per minute over time.
This small, consistent increase is enough to improve how far and how long you can walk without fatigue. If you struggle to keep pace, use a metronome app to stay on beat and hold your speed steady.
2. Strengthen your muscles — If your muscles are weak, your body can’t support a faster, more efficient walking pace. Consider incorporating simple strength training moves like squats, seated leg lifts, or light resistance band exercises two to three times a week. Even small improvements in muscle strength will make walking easier and help you stay steady on your feet.
3. Support your mitochondria through nutrition — Known as the powerhouse of the cell, the mitochondria works best when you give it the right fuel. Eat enough high-quality protein — around 0.8 grams per pound of lean body mass — with one-third coming from collagen sources like slow-cooked meats or bone broth. Include at least 250 grams of clean carbohydrates daily from fruit, root vegetables, and whole food sources to keep energy production strong.
Lastly, stay away from seed oils and processed foods that are loaded with linoleic acid (LA), as they only wreck your health. I recommend joining the waitlist for my new Mercola Health Coach App, which features the Seed Oil Sleuth, which will calculate your LA intake to the tenth of a gram from the food you eat.
4. Practice consistent recovery and breathing habits — Recovery is as important as movement. Incorporate nasal breathing during walks — inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth — to improve oxygen delivery and lower blood pressure. Make sure you get restorative sleep and spend at least 30 minutes in natural light daily to support circadian rhythm and energy balance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Frailty
Q: What is frailty and how does it affect older adults?
A: Frailty is a clinical condition marked by symptoms like unintended weight loss, weakness, exhaustion, low activity, and slow walking speed. It reduces independence, slows recovery from illness, and raises the risk of hospital stays and complications.
Q: How can walking faster help prevent or reverse frailty?
A: Research from the University of Chicago found that increasing walking pace by about 14 steps per minute improves mobility, endurance, and functional capacity in frail or prefrail older adults.
Q: What did the walking program in the study involve?
A: The four-month program included 48 supervised sessions lasting 45 minutes each, progressing through acclimation, ramp-up, and intervention phases, with faster walkers reaching about 100 steps per minute.
Q: What other benefits does brisk walking provide?
A: Besides improving mobility, brisk walking strengthens muscles, boosts cardiovascular health, enhances oxygen delivery, supports energy production, and lowers the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Q: What steps can I take to address the root causes of frailty?
A: You can gradually increase your walking cadence, add muscle-strengthening exercises, eat nutrient-rich foods to support energy production, and practice nasal breathing for better stamina and recovery.
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