High-intensity walking yields greater health benefits for older people than moderate-intensity walking, according to Japanese researchers.

Researchers from Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine in Matsumoto, Japan, found that those older adults who are engaged in high-intensity walking training showed greater improvements in blood pressure, thigh muscle strength, and exercise capacity than those who didn’t walk or those who walked at a moderate pace. The study defined moderately paced walking as 6 kilometers or 3.7 miles per hour.

While moderately paced walking is recommended for middle-aged and older people, it may not be intense enough to improve aerobic exercise capacity. Study results were published in the July issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.