There’s real value in your mom’s advice to always drink milk back when you were still a kid. A study reported on MedicalNewsToday.com reveals that children who drank milk had faster walking times and better balance during their senior years as compared to those who skipped the habit.

British researchers studied historical diet records from two previous studies in order to track and evaluate childhood eating habits of about 1,500 men from 62 to 86 years of age. The participants were then invited to follow-up trials that required them to go through several activities that included walking and balance tests.

The team found that participants who had early on formed the habit of drinking milk performed better in the exercises than those who didn’t. Drinking one glass a day during childhood increased an older adult’s walking time by five percent. Kids who drank milk were also found to have a 25 percent lesser chance of poor balance upon growing up. They were also more likely to become adult milk drinkers who were more conscious of having healthy diets.

Milk, which is known to be one of the best sources of bone-building calcium, is also a great source of Vitamin D, which helps fight osteoporosis and regulates blood pressure.

So unless you’re lactose intolerant, you may want to start the habit of drinking a glass of milk every day. What you reap is what you sow, so take care of your body while you’re young.

(Photo by Jacqueline via Flickr Creative Commons)