Walking is good for us. The physical and mental benefits of walking as exercise are well-documented. New research from the University of Chicago Medicine went a step further by looking into how fast a group of older adults walk. The results, published in the journal PLOS One, confirm that walking at a casual pace is healthy, but upping the pace slightly, if we are able, is better. Specifically, adding fourteen steps per minute to our usual pace led to meaningful improvements in endurance and aerobic capacity of older adults who were frail or at risk of becoming frail. Researchers say people who haven’t experienced frailty can’t imagine the difference walking makes, such as not needing to sit down while grocery shopping. So, don’t wait to step it up.