Sugar-free chewing gum is already known to help settle an upset stomach, with some claiming it tricks your body into digestion mode.
However, it turns out gum might have a rather unexpected second use too. Some research suggests that chewing while you walk could actually make your stride faster and more efficient, particularly as you get older. Here’s what’s actually behind the theory, and a few other simple tweaks that might help pick up your pace.
Why chewing gum might speed up your walking pace
One study looking into this found that people who chewed gum while walking had higher heart rates, burned more energy, covered greater distances, and walked noticeably faster than those who didn’t chew at all. Interestingly, this effect appeared to be strongest among middle-aged and older adults, with the pattern showing up particularly clearly in men.
What’s notable here is that the difference wasn’t small or easily explained away. Across every measure the researchers tracked, distance covered, energy burned, and overall pace, the gum chewing group came out ahead. For a habit that requires almost no effort or planning, that’s a fairly striking result.
The theory behind why this might actually work
Nobody knows for certain exactly why chewing gum seems to have this effect on pace, but researchers behind the study pointed to something called cardiac-locomotor synchronisation as a possible explanation. This happens when your heartbeat and your steps start to fall into rhythm with one another, effectively syncing up so the two movements begin to reinforce each other rather than working independently.
This phenomenon tends to be more pronounced in middle-aged and older people, which may help explain why the walking benefits were strongest in that particular group. The theory is that chewing gum raises heart rate, and that heightened synchronisation between heartbeat and stride may then translate into real, measurable improvements in walking distance and step count.
A separate study found a similar link with chewing speed.
Adding weight to this idea, another piece of research found that people who chewed more quickly also tended to walk more quickly, with their chewing rate and stepping rate rising and falling together in a fairly consistent pattern. In other words, speeding up or slowing down how fast you chew appeared to have a direct knock on effect on how fast you walked, almost as if the two actions were connected by the same internal rhythm.
The suggested explanation here is that the nerve signals controlling the muscles used for chewing may overlap with, or influence, the nerve signals controlling the basic muscle movements involved in walking. Essentially, the rhythm your jaw sets while chewing may end up nudging the rhythm of your legs too, without you ever consciously trying to walk faster.
Chewing gum isn’t the only trick for a quicker stride.
If you’re looking to naturally pick up your walking pace, there’s another simple adjustment you should try alongside chewing gum: swinging your arms properly as you walk. According to physical therapy experts, this movement helps rotate your torso slightly with each step, which in turn brings the rest of your body along with it in a more coordinated way.
Your arms essentially act as the conductor for the rest of your stride, setting the tempo and helping the whole body move together more efficiently. A lot of us naturally let our arms hang fairly still while walking, especially if we’re carrying a phone or a bag, but consciously bringing them back into the movement could make a noticeable difference to overall pace and coordination.
Combining both habits can offer an easy pace boost.
Combined with a stick of sugar-free gum, a bit more purposeful arm swinging could be a simple way to make your regular walk faster without needing to consciously push yourself harder or change your route. Neither habit requires any extra time, equipment or planning, which makes them fairly easy to slot into a walk you’re already doing.
Neither of these tricks needs to be perfect to be worthwhile. Even a loosely swung arm or an occasional piece of gum before heading out could contribute to a slightly brisker, more energised walk over time, particularly if you’re doing it regularly rather than just once.
Why walking pace is important to pay attention to as you get older
Walking speed isn’t just about getting from one place to another a little quicker. It’s increasingly recognised as a useful marker of overall health, particularly in later life, with a brisker natural pace often linked to better physical function and wellbeing as we age. Small, low effort changes like these could offer an easy way to support that, without needing to overhaul your entire exercise routine.
Whether it’s a stick of gum in your pocket before you head out the door, or simply paying a bit more attention to how you’re swinging your arms, these are small tweaks that cost nothing and take barely any effort to try. For anyone looking to add a bit more pace and energy to their daily walk, they’re certainly worth experimenting with, and there’s very little to lose by giving either one a go.
