Why I’m Training My Clients (and Myself) to Walk Well for Brain Health and Longevity
Why I’m Training My Clients (and Myself) to Walk Well for Brain Health and Longevity Have you ever thought about how fast you walk? Probably not, unless you are on a hike with someone who walks faster than you.  Then all you can think about is keeping up and how do their legs make them move faster than you even though they appear shortere! Over 4 decades of competing sports, makes me a natural tracker of performance metrics. But now I’m not evaluating myself against people in their 20’s…yes I still do that…but people in the 80’s! As a clinician working in lifestyle medicine and human performance, I constantly look at how biomechanics intersect with systemic health. It turns out that how fast and efficiently you walk is one of the most accurate windows we have into your biological age, neurological health, and lifespan.

The Science Behind the 'Super-Mover'

A study published in Neurology reveals that older adults who maintain a brisk, robust gait—dubbed "super-movers"—don't just have healthier joints and muscles; they exhibit remarkable cognitive resilience. Dr. Joe Verghese and his team analyzed data from major aging cohorts involving thousands of older adults (average age 84). The results were clear:
  • Dementia Risk: Super-movers were roughly 50% less likely to experience cognitive decline and 60% less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias compared to their slower-walking peers over a multi-year follow-up.
  • Brain Structure: Neuroimaging showed super-movers preserved significantly greater volume in the hippocampus—the brain’s central hub for memory and spatial navigation.
  • Cognitive Reserve: Remarkably, post-mortem analyses revealed that even when super-movers had structural brain changes associated with Alzheimer's, they frequently remained symptom-free in life. Their physical capacity helped build a buffer—a cognitive reserve.

Why Gait Speed Is So Useful

In clinical practice, I’ve heard people suggest that walking speed carries as much predictive weight as blood pressure, heart rate, or blood glucose…having said that when I brought it up with my doctor he brushed it off with a shrug…so it hasn’t reached grass roots medicine yet.  Walking isn't just a basic mechanical task; it is a complex neurological event. To walk rapidly and with a balanced stride, your central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and musculoskeletal structures must operate in complete synchronization.
  • Early Warning Indicator: Changes in gait dynamics—such as a shortened stride, decreased velocity, or subtle asymmetry—can show up to seven years before clinical symptoms of dementia appear (Verghese et al.).
  • Cancer and Cardiovascular Protection: Large-scale population data from the UK Biobank (tracking over 335,000 adults) demonstrated that individuals walking at a brisk pace (~5–6 km/h) experienced significantly lower risks for multiple types of cancer. Furthermore, University of Sydney research showed that a brisk walking pace reduced all-cause mortality by 24%, with cardiovascular mortality risk dropping by over 50% in older demographics.

How Brisk Walking Protects the Nervous System

When you increase your walking speed, several metabolic and neurological cascades occur simultaneously:
  1. Neurotrophic Factor Release: Fast walking stimulates the production of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a key protein that promotes neuroplasticity, protects existing neurons, and encourages new synaptic connections.
  2. Myokine Signaling: Your lower body contains the largest muscle groups in human anatomy. When these muscles contract dynamically during brisk walking, they secrete specialized signaling peptides called myokines into the bloodstream, which reduce systemic inflammation and support brain cell survival.
  3. Cerebral Blood Flow: Higher-intensity movement increases pulsatile blood flow to the brain, optimizing oxygen delivery and nutrient clearance via the glymphatic system.

Test Your Gait: The 5-Meter Speed Check

In clinical settings, we often use short-distance velocity tests to calculate functional baseline speed. You can easily test this yourself:
  1. Measure out 5 meters on a flat, straight surface.
  2. Time how many seconds it takes you to walk that distance at your standard, purposeful pace.
  3. Divide 5 meters by your time in seconds to get your speed in meters per second (m/s).
  • The Benchmark: A speed above 1.0 m/s (taking under 5 seconds to cover 5 meters) correlates with healthy biological aging and strong functional capacity.
  • The Threshold: A gait speed dropping below 0.8 m/s indicates increased risk for physical frailty, fall hazards, and accelerated cognitive decline.
Note: Even incremental improvements matter—research shows that increasing your average gait speed by as little as 0.1 m/s correlates with measurable gains in functional independence and healthspan.

How To Improve Gait & Velocity

If you want to increase your walking speed and optimize your movement mechanics, focus on these structural and habits-based interventions:
  • Restore Foot Mechanics & Toe Splay: Years of restrictive footwear narrow the forefoot, limiting the ground contact area of the hallux (big toe) and reducing propulsive power. Utilizing toe spacers and spending time barefoot on natural surfaces improves toe alignment, arch activation, and ground force transmission. Personally I like the company correct toes and used to exclusively sell their product in my clinic. 
  • Build Lower Leg Power (Single-Leg Calf Raises): An efficient stride requires strong ankles. Stand on one leg and perform slow, controlled calf raises through full range of motion. Aim to comfortably complete 20 continuous repetitions per side without significant compensation.
  • Test Big Toe Engagement: Sit in a chair, place a small card under your big toe, and press down firmly into the floor without clawing your toes. Have someone pull the card; if it slides out easily, focus on strengthening your intrinsic foot flexors and posterior tibialis muscle.
  • Integrate Retro (Backward) Walking: Walking backward forces a different neuromuscular coordination pattern, increases quadriceps and tibialis anterior recruitment, reduces knee joint stress, and sharpens proprioception. Start on a flat, clear path or a powered-off treadmill for 3–5 minutes.
  • Maintain Postural Alignment: An upright posture optimizes biomechanical efficiency, opens the thoracic cavity for full diaphragmatic respiration, and reduces unnecessary energy expenditure through the kinetic chain.

References

  1. Verghese, J., et al. (2026). Gait performance, super-movers, and risk of cognitive decline in older adults. Neurology.
  2. Abellana, R., et al. (2017). Gait speed as a predictive biomarker for cognitive impairment and dementia onset. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 56(4), 1421-1429.
  3. Stamatakis, E., et al. (2018). Self-rated walking pace and all-cause, cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality: individual participant pooled analysis of 50,225 walkers. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(12), 761-768.
  4. Zhai, X., et al. (2022). Association of walking pace with incident cancer risk: A prospective cohort study of 337,000 UK Biobank participants. European Journal of Epidemiology.
  5. Pedersen, B. K. (2019). Physical activity and muscle-brain crosstalk: myokines and BDNF in cognitive preservation. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 15(7), 383-392.
Scoliosis Genes and Nutrition
How Your Genes and Nutrition Play A Roll In Your Scoliosis Traditional scoliosis care often traps families in a cycle of "wait and see," watching a curve get worse while feeling powerless to stop it. For years, the industry treated Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) as a simple mechanical failure—like a leaning tower that just needs a bigger brace to push it back. The reality is that if we only look at the bones, we could be missing the "software" glitch in the brain and DNA that is driving the "hardware" collapse. New research suggests shifting from passive observation to a neuro-genomic intervention, this means we would stop treating the symptom and start addressing the body’s internal signaling.

1. The Genetic "Software" Glitch

Many teens face rapid curve progression during puberty that seems "unstoppable" even with a brace. This happens because their DNA is sending the wrong instructions to their ligaments and joints. Researchers have begun to look at the genes for the solution. WHat they discovered is that people with scoliosis show some different gene variants when compared to people without.  Two common variants are the COMT and MTHFR gene variants. A COMT variant slows down how your body clears out estrogen, which leads to "stretchy" joints (ligamentous laxity). When you combine this with an MTHFR "bottleneck" that starves the brain of nutrients, the spine loses its internal support system. Research shows that when these two variants collide, there is a greater than 20° progression in over 80% of cases. By identifying these markers early through genomic testing, we can use targeted support like L-Methylfolate and SAMe to clear the metabolic path. The aim here is to stabilize the body’s chemistry before the growth spurt causes the curve to win. But are there other genes that could predict scoliosis progression?  

2. The Brain’s Blind Spot

If your brain has low postural memory, it essentially "forgets" where the spine is in space. This makes it hard to fix a posture that the brain doesn't realize is crooked. I’ve heard reports of when a tether breaks in someone's back their curve often regresses to what it was. Meaning the brain’s internal map of the spine isn’t straight.  This is often driven by a "triple-threat" of chemical imbalances: low serotonin, low histamine, and high norepinephrine. For instance, a "hyper-utilizer" MAOA variant acts like a vacuum, sucking up serotonin—the "posture manager"—before it can tell the muscles to hold the spine upright. When we balance these chemicals (using tools like 5-HTP), we restore the brain’s "map" of the body. This may just give the nervous system the clarity it needs to maintain a straight, stable spine automatically. But how do genes play a role in things like bone building?  

3. The Brittle Foundation

A spine cannot stay straight if the "bricks" used to build it are weak. Many AIS patients suffer from low bone density, making their spine "spongy" and susceptible to bending under pressure. This isn't just about calcium; it’s about the management of that calcium. Vitamin D acts as the delivery truck that brings calcium into the blood, but without Vitamin K2 acting as the driver, that calcium never reaches the bone matrix. It just floats around, leaving the spine weak during critical growth periods.  Some studies show that up to 90% of teens with scoliosis are low in Vitamin D Optimizing Vit D and K2  ensures that as the teen grows, they are building a high-density, resilient skeletal frame that can actually resist the mechanical pull of a curve.  

4. The Integrated Path Forward

Relying solely on external exercises (outside-in) often feels like fighting a losing battle against your own biology (inside-out). Traditional Scoliosis Specific exercises are essential, but they are often performed on a body that is chemically "unbalanced." It's like trying to align the wheels on a car while the frame is still bent This is where the proponents of Genomic-Informed Rehab come in. By combining neuromuscular re-education (like the Scoliosis Correction Protocol with targeted nutrition to fix the internal chemistry, you stop being a victim of your genetics. You become the architect of your own spinal health, with a treatment plan that is as unique as your DNA.   References
  • Blasco-Fontecilla, H. (2023). Journal of Clinical Medicine.
  • Janusz, P., et al. (2014). Medical Science Monitor.
  • Morningstar, M. (2011). Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders.
  • Morningstar, M. (2023). Serotonin - Neurotransmitter and Hormone.
  • Morningstar, M. (2024). Medical Research Archives.
  • Nicotera, A. G., et al. (2021). Brain Sciences.
  • Wright, J., et al. (2025). Journal of Genomics.
The Foods That Are Re-wiring Our Brains.
The Foods That Are Re-wiring Our Brains. If you haven’t heard of ultra processed (UPFs) yet then you’ll either be scared by this article or nod your head with a little smirk of self righteousness knowing that you were right all along.  The crazy thing about ultra-processed foods is that they make it harder to stop eating them because they change how key brain regions work. I’m sure you can relate, I see this almost every day with my kids. The sugar drive is crazy, whole days can be planned around how they get candy or sweets. The prolonged arguments I have with them about why they shouldn’t have seconds of ice cream are more like talking to a drug addict then a 12 year old. My experiences are beginning to be backed up by the scientific community. Recent MRI research from Canada found that people who eat more UPFs show structural changes in the hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens, areas of your brain that regulate appetite and reward. The more UPFs people ate, the more likely they were to lose control over their intake and gain weight. Other studies support this.  Even a small daily high-fat snack can shift brain circuitry over time. Researchers describe UPFs as engineered to stimulate the pleasure centres with an intensity the brain wasn’t built to handle. The effect resembles how nicotine hijacks normal signalling pathways.

Hyperpalatable

UPFs show up everywhere. Ready meals, protein bars, flavoured yoghurts and condiments dominate kitchens. But recently I heard the term hyperpalatable.  This just means the ideal combination of fat to protein to stimulate our reward centres more than conventional food. When I started digging I found something that shocked me. The food we eat today is not the same as the food we ate 30-40 years ago. Beef has got significantly fatter meaning that it now hits the 50/50 ratio of fat to protein making it hyperpalatable and somewhat addictive but not as good for you as it once was. Same things with many types of snacks, once upon a time a bag of chips or crisps, as we like to say in the UK, was a pretty bland affair but they are now a taste bud onslaught with brands like Doritos leading the way (read The Dorito Effect by Mark Schatzker). The never ending list of emulsifiers and other additives just gets longer disrupting our gut microbiomes and sending our brain into a tail spin. But those things are easy to spot - if you need a chemistry degree to pronounce the names on the ingredients list you can probably assume it’s highly processed. However some food items might appear healthy but hide the truth. 

Sal

Supermarket bread often contains more salt per slice than a packet of chips/crisps. Salt sharpens cravings by boosting sweetness and intensifying other rewarding ingredients. High salt intake can raise inflammation, which affects the brain pathways that control appetite and fullness.

Fructose

Fruit juices from concentrate, soft drinks, condiments and sweets rely on fructose. It causes fast blood sugar spikes and dopamine surges. This overstimulation reinforces reward-seeking and pushes people toward foods that deliver quick hits.

Refined carbohydrates

UPFs strip carbohydrates of fibre and micronutrients. Modified starches, cornstarch and potato starch appear everywhere. These break down fast and trigger sharp glucose spikes followed by crashes. Over time, the brain responds less to normal foods and craves the rapid stimulation from UPFs - like my kids - you get addicted. 

High sugar plus fat

Natural foods rarely combine both in large amounts. UPFs do. This pairing sends dopamine levels soaring - making them another hyperpalatable food. Research shows the brain encodes this combo differently, making it even more compelling and harder to moderate.

Dyes and flavour agents

Bright colours, artificial flavours and engineered textures boost sensory impact. They create quick flavour bursts that fade fast, prompting repeated bites. These cues reinforce cravings in the same way packaging and branding do. No single additive explains the addictive nature of these foods, the problem comes from a heady mix of marketing, taste engineering and many ingredients working together to push the brain toward wanting more. Personally I’m not immune to the cravings of UPFs. I’m not one of those people who says they never eat a chocolate chip cookie or go weak at the knees for some banana bread. But the old classic 80/20 rule can apply here - don’t let the UPFs go over 20% and you’ll be better off. Sure, I’ll get some kick back for that advice, because it should be more like 95/5 but I’m also a realist.  If we want the average person to eat less UPFs let’s start at about 20%. Actually, something I did in our house was say to the kids that they can eat as much candy as they want (this was after halloween) when they have had at least 7-8 servings of fruits and vegetables in the day prior to asking for candy. You know what…it dramatically cut down their eating of UPFs.  I wasn’t the “bad” man by telling them no, in fact I told them yes…but set a condition on it. Once the condition is met they are usually so full that they don’t want anything else to eat…ha ha…I feel like I outwitted the brain re-wiring References. Ultra-processed food intake and brain structure (UK Biobank MRI study) Morys, F., Wang, M., Charpentier, C. J., Dagher, A., & Fellows, L. K. (2025). Ultra-processed food consumption affects structural integrity of feeding-related brain regions independent of and via adiposity. Scientific Reports, 15, 10324. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40213086/ UPF consumption, depression, inflammation, and mesocorticolimbic volume Sabia, S., Kivimäki, M., Akbaraly, T., Stringhini, S., & Dugravot, A. (2023). Consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with depression, mesocorticolimbic volume, and inflammation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 330, 191–199 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37207947/
Creativity May Keep Your Brain Younger

Creativity May Keep Your Brain Younger

I don’t know about you but I want to keep my mind sharp as we age. Yet the brain naturally changes over time—shrinking in size, slowing in processing, and losing some flexibility to form new connections. But recent research suggests that how fast your brain ages isn’t set in stone. A study published in Nature Communications found that people who engage deeply in creative pursuits—like dancing, playing music, painting, or even gaming—show brains that appear years younger than their age. Researchers used machine learning and EEG data from over 1,200 participants to estimate each person’s “brain age gap” or BAG—a measure of how old or young the brain looks compared to one’s chronological age. Experts in creative fields had brains that were, on average, six years younger.  

Average brain age gap by creative field:

  • Tango dancers: –7.1 years
  • Musicians: –5.3 years
  • Visual artists: –6.2 years
  • Gamers: –4.1 years
The results held true across all creative disciplines. Which means earning and mastering complex skills seemed to slow brain aging, likely by strengthening neural connections and improving communication between brain regions. Even short-term learning mattered. Younger adults who trained intensively at a new video game reduced their brain age gap by more than three years. No change was seen in a control group, showing the benefit comes directly from learning although the longer the learning the better.  These effects weren’t limited to one area of the brain. Creative experts had stronger connections in networks that are critical for attention, motor control, coordination, and rhythm—regions that typically decline with age. Although the researchers don’t go into detail on what drives the changes on a molecular level author and researcher Rhonda Patrick PHd suggests BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a molecule that supports neuron growth and repair is a key player.  BDNF tends to decrease as we get older, but it rises with physical activity, learning, and even heat exposure. Here are three reliable ways to boost BDNF:
  1. Exercise – High-intensity workouts raise BDNF and improve brain efficiency.
  2. Omega-3 fats – Regular intake of DHA and EPA supports neuronal communication.
  3. Heat therapy – Sauna or hot baths stimulate BDNF production.
Taken together, these findings highlight an important point: creativity isn’t just for fun—it’s a form of brain maintenance. Picking up an instrument, taking a dance class, learning to paint, or even playing strategy-based video games keeps your neural networks active. The key is consistency and challenge. The harder and longer you engage, the greater the brain benefit. You don’t need to become a professional artist or musician to make an impact. What matters most is that you keep learning and practicing something that excites you. Where possible try and shy away from always seeking mind numbing activities, and consuming media where the thinking and creativity is done for you (doom scrolling)...yes I’m thinking about my teenage children…and aim to push yourself a little every day.  Aging is inevitable—but how your brain ages is partly up to you. Reference: Nature Communications, 2025 – “Creative expertise and brain age gap”