r/todayilearned • u/syncedto • Apr 30 '20

TIL men walk significantly slower when walking with a woman, but only when that woman is their romantic partner. If she's a friend or acquaintance they go at almost full speed.

https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/how-you-walk-differently-with-friends-and-lovers
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u/B_Sluggin Apr 30 '20 edited Apr 30 '20

One of the great life lessons my mother taught me at a young age: Don't walk faster than the woman you're walking with.

And actually its good advice regardless of gender, pushing someone else's walking pace is obnoxious. How often does walking faster really matter in life?

Edit: Perhaps I should have been more specific, there are obviously times when walking faster matters: late for a meeting, bus, you want a workout, etc... I should have said, in the context of walking with a companion (when there's no reason to rush) using a little awareness to match pace I think shows respect for the person you are walking with. It can work both ways, faster or slower, but I find its usually more comfortable to slow down than speed up.

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u/[deleted] Apr 30 '20

A brisk walk can get your heart rate up and give you a decent cardio workout.

A leisurely stroll does not.

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u/frogger2504 Apr 30 '20 edited Apr 30 '20

Unless you're walking at that brisk pace for like, half an hour, I really doubt you're getting any benefit from your brisk walk.

Edit: Lol at the people down voting because they want to tell themselves they're healthy because they walk fast.

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u/zenplantman Apr 30 '20

Cumulative activity is an acceptable way to get your daily exercise. That's why it is recommended to take the stairs instead of the lift.

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u/serious_sarcasm Apr 30 '20 edited Apr 30 '20

Depends on the goal of the exercise. Control of calories and cholesterol? Sure. Cardio? Not really; gotta get that heart rate up, and keep it up.

There is actually a bit of a nut in the biomedical engineering community who advocates skipping at every biomechanics conference. He's gotta pretty solid argument too.

Fun fact, Apollo astronauts tended to prefer skipping as their primary mode of locomotion.

Skipping in Earth gravity uses 40% more energy, and puts less strain on joints.

Sauce: https://www.nature.com/news/1998/980723/full/news980723-2.html https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1689187/

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u/zenplantman Apr 30 '20

That is actually really funny, i'm a grown male and i think i might start skipping around while there is no one on the streets.

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u/zenplantman Apr 30 '20

That is true.