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Most people know their blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight…but do you know your walking speed?
It may surprise you to learn that walking speed is often called the “Sixth Vital Sign” because it is one of the strongest predictors of health, independence, hospitalization, fall risk, and even longevity.
As a physical therapist, I measure walking speed regularly because it provides valuable insight into how well someone is aging.
Try this simple test at home:
Measure a distance of 10 meters (about 33 feet – 32.8 feet to be exact).
Allow yourself about 6 feet before the start line to get up to your normal walking speed.
Walk at your comfortable, everyday pace, NOT as fast as you can.
Divide 10 meters by your time (in seconds) to calculate your walking speed in meters per second (m/s).
How did you do?
General guidelines for comfortable walking speed:
🟢 1.0 m/s or faster: Excellent. Generally associated with maintaining independence and community mobility.
🟡 0.8 to 1.0 m/s: Functional, but there may be room for improvement in strength, balance, endurance, or confidence.
🔴 Less than 0.8 m/s: Often associated with a higher risk of falls, hospitalization, and difficulty performing everyday activities independently.
Walking speed isn’t just about how fast you move. It reflects the combined health of your muscles, joints, heart, lungs, nervous system, and balance.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll share four more simple tests that can help you measure how well you’re aging and identify areas where you can stay stronger, healthier, and independent for years to come.
Movement Is Freedom Physical Therapy – Get Back to What Moves you!
Reference: Bohannon RW. (1997). “Comfortable and maximum walking speed of adults aged 20-79 years: Reference values and determinants.” Age and Ageing, 26(1), 15-19.
