This app can measure your “usual walking speed,” something that other similar apps can’t do.
Is walking speed a predictor of dementia and serious illness risk?
The fact that usual walking speed is an indicator of dementia risk can also be confirmed by Generative AI such as Gemini and ChatGPT. (Answer examples are at the bottom)
Q1. Tell me the relationship between usual walking speed in daily life and dementia risk,
Q2. I would like to show evidence that usual walking speed in daily life is a predictor of dementia,
Q3. Will dementia risk decrease if walking speed is restored? etc.
Requirements for walking speed to be a predictive indicator
- Predictive index = An index that does not change regardless of the physical condition at any given time, whose value decreases as aging progresses, allowing the degree of risk to be understood, and which also allows the effectiveness of recovery to be confirmed. Only usual walking speed meets this requirement.
- Because changes in usual walking speed are very gradual, it is necessary to use high-precision measurement to detect even slight declines or improvements.
Measurement method requirements
- Because walking speed changes when you are conscious of the measurement, unconscious measurement, i.e. automatic measurement, is necessary.
- For unconscious measurement, it is also necessary that the device can be held in any position. (It does not have to be at the center of the body, it can be held in a pocket or bag.)
- To detect slight changes, the usual walking speed measurement value must be accurate.
- It can be theoretically confirmed that the measured speed is a usual walking speed.
Differences from other health apps and walking speed measurement apps
- With measurement apps that limit the position of the device to be held, such as holding it at the center of your waist, you are conscious of the measurement and unconscious measurement is not possible. This app does not limit the position of the device.
- For the same reason, unconscious measurement is not possible with apps that require operation when measuring.
- The iPhone’s Health app measures values that are too wide above and below, making it impossible to know your usual walking speed.
- GPS consumes a lot of power, so automatic measurement without measurement operation is not possible, and even though accuracy has improved, errors due to GPS and operations during measurement cannot be ignored.
- With other similar apps that use acceleration sensors, unless the device is held at the center of the body, there is a large discrepancy between the time when the foot touches the ground and the time when the acceleration peaks, resulting in a large difference between the actual ground contact time interval and the measured time interval for each step, making it impossible to measure with sufficient accuracy.
- The number of steps measured by the iPhone is accurate when walking continuously, but the accuracy of the step count measurements at other times is significantly lower, and the correct value cannot be obtained.
- For the above reasons, similar apps other than this app cannot measure usual walking speed.
- In everyday life, people often unconsciously walk at the same specific speed (usual walking speed), and it has been confirmed that even if they walk quickly or stroll, they walk at their usual walking speed significantly more often. (Characteristics of cadence during continuous walking in daily life)
- This app uses this phenomenon to accurately measure usual walking speed.
- In other words, usual walking speed, which occurs frequently and unconsciously in everyday life, cannot be measured using a measurement method that does not automatically identify it.
There is no other app that can measure usual walking speed, which is a predictor of dementia and other serious diseases.
Example of a ChatGPT response
Q: Please provide evidence that usual walking speed in daily life is a predictor of dementia.
A: Certainly! There is robust scientific evidence showing that usual walking speed in daily life—particularly when measured without the individual being consciously tested—is a strong predictor of future dementia. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the key studies and mechanisms behind this relationship:
🧠 Core Evidence: Walking Speed as a Predictor of Dementia
✅ 1. Slower Usual Walking Speed Predicts Dementia Onset
Study: Beauchet et al., Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 2016
- Design: Meta-analysis of 9 prospective cohort studies involving 14,000+ participants
- Finding: Individuals with slower usual gait speed had a significantly increased risk of dementia (Hazard Ratio ≈ 1.89).
- Interpretation: Even modest reductions in habitual walking speed (not just during tests) were associated with future cognitive decline.
✅ 2. Gait Speed Decline Precedes Cognitive Decline
Study: Montero-Odasso et al., JAMA Network Open, 2019
- Design: Longitudinal study with 8,699 older adults
- Finding: People who experienced dual decline in both memory and gait speed had a 6.3 times higher risk of developing dementia.
- Notably, a decline in walking speed alone (measured over time in daily life) was still predictive of future dementia, even in those without baseline cognitive impairment.
✅ 3. Real-World Walking Behavior Reflects Cognitive Health
Study: Del Din et al., Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 2019
- Design: Wearable sensors tracked participants’ everyday walking over a week in free-living conditions.
- Finding: Participants with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) showed reduced walking speed and increased variability, even in their unmonitored daily routines.
- Conclusion: Natural, habitual walking is a reliable proxy for early cognitive decline.
✅ 4. Usual Walking Speed Is a Marker of Brain Health
Study: Rosano et al., Neurology, 2012
- Design: MRI imaging study linked walking speed to brain structure
- Finding: Slower gait speed was associated with smaller hippocampal and frontal lobe volumes, areas critical for memory and planning.
- Suggests that walking speed reflects underlying neurodegeneration before dementia symptoms arise.
🧩 Why Is Walking Speed Linked to Dementia?
Walking in daily life requires coordination between:
- Frontal lobes (executive function, attention)
- Hippocampus (spatial memory)
- Basal ganglia and cerebellum (motor control and balance)
When these brain regions begin to deteriorate in preclinical dementia, the first observable sign may be a slower or more variable walking pace—especially during routine activities when no one is trying to “perform.”
📊 Summary Table: Gait Speed & Dementia Risk
| Walking Speed (m/s) | Risk Level for Dementia |
| ≥ 1.0 m/s | Low risk |
| 0.8 – 1.0 m/s | Moderate risk |
| < 0.8 m/s | High risk |
| Decline > 0.05 m/s/year | Early warning of cognitive decline |
📚 Key References
- Beauchet, O., et al. (2016). Poor Gait Performance and Prediction of Dementia. JAMDA.
- Montero-Odasso, M., et al. (2019). Association of Dual Decline in Memory and Gait Speed With Risk for Dementia. JAMA Netw Open.
- Del Din, S., et al. (2019). Gait analysis with wearables in dementia. Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
- Rosano, C., et al. (2012). Gait speed and brain MRI findings. Neurology.