Walking to "outpace" the grim reaper

Vitals On MSNBC.COM is reporting that Australian researchers have found that older folks who walked at a pace of 3 mph or faster tended to stay alive over a given period of time, versus folks who walked at a slower pace. Thus, 3 mph is considered the pace at which one outruns the grim reaper. Interestingly, 3 mph is a typical pedestrian walking speed at which transportation planning is done. Having communities in which it's feasible to walk to work, school, and various other destinations makes it that much easier to be and stay active for all people. And staying active makes it that much easier to have that 3+ mph pace even as one ages, not to mention maintaining one's independence.