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Walking at a brisk pace could shave years off your biological age, new research suggests. 

Researchers from the University of Leicester and Leicester Biomedical Research Centre looked at genetic data from 405,981 middle-aged UK residents, averaging in their mid 50s.  They compared the typical self-reported walking pace of participants with signs of biological aging by measuring a key marker of cellular health called telomeres. 

Telomeres are the tail ends of chromosomes, or strands of our DNA, and provide stability as cells divide over time. As we age, telomeres become shorter, like a candle burning down — shorter telomeres are linked to age-related illnesses such as cancer.

A faster walking pace was associated with fewer markers of aging in a large group of older adults with data suggesting that faster walking may reduce markers of aging by as much as 16 years by midlife, according to a study published April 20 in the journal Communications Biology.