What your stride length says about your health, from Saga, 2026 04 12

[Colin Howard]

Greetings,

I reckon my stride length is ok now but has been degraded a little since my
accident almost two years ago. My right leg seems mostly fine, but
sometimes causes me to rethink my walking strategy. I find I can still walk
a good speed and distance, especially when accompanied by others in a group
or as a single partner.

I'm not aware my stride length has signifficantly changed, I've always taken
steps of around the recommended size maybe increasing their length slightly
if I need to speed up.

I am a great deal more careful when accessing steps and prefer to use where
pavement curbs are decreased to allow vehicles to enter drive ways Etc.

Why do scientists think the length of your stride might offer a powerful
clue to your future health and what's so special about 64cm?
By Patsy Westcott | Published - 9 Apr 2026

For something which seems so simple and natural, walking is a surprisingly
complex activity, requiring co-ordination between your brain and muscles
from all over your body. And it turns out, how we walk as we get older, both
in terms of speed and stride length, can reveal a lot about our future
health.

A major analysis of 11 studies involving more than 14,000 older adults found
that those with a shorter, more uneven stride were significantly more likely
to develop serious health problems. These included a higher risk of falls,
loss of independence, disability and even early death.

The researchers even identified a surprisingly specific tipping point: 64cm
(around 25 inches), below which risks rose sharply.

How do I measure stride length?

In simple terms, stride length is the distance between two contacts of the
same foot, so, for example, from the back of your right heel when it touches
the ground to the back of the same foot when it next touches the ground.

The simplest way to work it out at home is to walk a measured distance at
your normal pace and count your steps. Then divide the distance by the
number of steps and multiply by two.

Measuring your stride length is quite an easy process

What is a healthy stride length?

The average stride length is 158cm for men and 132cm for women, but it's a
very individual thing.

"There's nothing magical about 64cm in itself and there's no single healthy
stride length which applies to everyone, height and age come into it, too,"
says Gladys Pearson, professor of musculoskeletal frailty and rehabilitation
at Manchester Metropolitan University.

"What matters is what stride length reflects. A longer, more comfortable
stride suggests your body is functioning well."

Although Professor Pearson was not involved in the study, her research on
physical activity and ageing has helped shape government guidelines.

To stride out with ease, you need coordinated force through the ankle, knee
and hip, together with joint mobility. You also need the confidence to
balance on one leg without fear of toppling over. Tendon stiffness is also
important. Stiffer tendons, the tissues connecting muscle to bone, help
generate power.

What can a short stride mean?

A shorter stride, by contrast, can be a sign of less so-called physical
"reserve", defined as the ability to maintain physical function and resist
decline despite age-linked changes, illnesses, injuries or other stressors.

"It can indicate less muscle power, less range of motion (ROM) and poorer
balance," says Professor Pearson. "If strength and tendon stiffness are
lacking, especially in the calves, quadriceps and hips, people often take
shorter steps."

Sometimes, reducing the length of your stride can be a sensible tactic,
Professor Pearson explains. "It keeps the body's centre of mass under better
control, so it feels safer." But if it becomes a habit, it can be a sign of
declining mobility.

Pain, fear of falling, ankle or hip stiffness and slower reaction times can
all influence the stride length. Because walking is a complex, whole body
activity, a shorter stride can also reflect strain on other parts of the
body, including the heart and circulatory system. It can also offer clues to
brain and nervous-system health.

A shorter stride can suggest that the brain's motor planning, the internal
blueprint that enables us to think of a goal, plan how to achieve it and
coordinate our muscles to achieve it and timing systems are less efficient.

"It can also be a sign sensory feedback from the feet and legs is poorer,"
explains Professor Pearson.

A short stride is unlikely to be the cause, per se, of future health
problems. "It's better understood as a visible sign underlying systems are
becoming less resilient, a warning flag rather than a diagnosis," Professor
Pearson points out.

In some cases, reducing the length of your stride can be sensible

Speed is also an important health indicator

Stride length is only part of the picture. Another closely related metric,
our walking speed, has also been recognised as a potent indicator of health.
Indeed, US researchers once called walking speed the "sixth vital sign".
Other vital signs include temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure
and oxygen saturation.

A landmark study which tracked more than 34,000 people aged 65-plus for up
to two decades found the faster people walked, the longer they lived. The
study, published in 2011, revealed at age 75 those with the slowest walking
speeds had roughly a one-in-five chance of surviving the next decade. This
rose to around 80-90% in those who walked fastest.

Remarkably, walking speed proved as accurate at predicting life expectancy
as more conventional yardsticks such as age, sex, use of mobility aids,
chronic conditions, smoking history, blood pressure, body mass index and
hospitalisation. Since then, numerous studies have underlined this. In
recent years, studies have also linked a slower walking pace to a higher
risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Both walking speed and stride length are aspects of gait, or the way we walk
and are closely intertwined, as Professor Pearson points out: "In older
adults, longer stride length appears to protect against future decline in
walking speed, suggesting it's not just incidental but a key component of
mobility in ageing."

An explanation for this is walking and thinking share some of the same brain
networks, particularly those involved in attention, planning and executive
function, the mental processes we use to plan and execute tasks and manage
emotion.

"The evidence is stronger for speed than for stride length alone," Professor
Pearson explains. "But shorter strides often sit within the same broader
pattern of cautious or impaired gait."

Research has shown, walking at a faster pace can help you live longer

Should I try to lengthen my stride?

Not deliberately, say the experts. "Overstriding can be counterproductive
and may increase instability," cautions Professor Pearson. "A better
approach is to walk regularly, aim for a purposeful pace when appropriate
and build the strength and confidence which allow your stride length and
speed to improve naturally."

Even small changes can make a difference. Swapping sitting time for light
activity can improve walking speed and other recognised markers of lower
body strength and balance, such as the ability to rise from a chair without
using your arms.

Interestingly, research by Professor Pearson and others in the field shows
people who meet the government's physical activity recommendations,
including even highly trained athletes, still experience muscle decline with
age.

"It isn't simply down to laziness, it's biology," she points out. But
physical activity really helps.

"People who are inactive or who sit a lot, even though they may also
exercise, tend to lose function faster and have less physical reserve."

Regular walking, resistance exercise (using weights, bands, kettlebells or
body weight) a couple of times a week and balance and mobility work can all
help maintain our strength and ability to stride out with aplomb.

"Try not to sit or stand still for more than about 30 minutes, get up and
move for at least two minutes before settling again," Professor Pearson
advises.

Above all, don't wait until your walking noticeably declines. "Keep using
your muscles now. Mobility is much easier to maintain than to rebuild."

Seek medical advice if:

Your usual walking pace has clearly slowed

You need furniture or walls for support

You avoid stairs or longer walks

It takes much longer to rise from a chair

You experience frequent stumbles

Your walking becomes uneven or asymmetrical

You are taking shorter, shuffling steps

You experience 'freezing' or hesitation when walking

You feel a marked loss of confidence when moving

Discuss with your GP, physiotherapist or falls service, especially if you
experience pain, dizziness, memory changes and/or unexplained fatigue.

Written by: Patsy Westcott

Colin Howard, living in Southern England.