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      Average Speed

      Average walking speed is often used clinically as an overall measure of walking capacity and preparedness for safe community mobility. Changes in walking speed reflect a compensation for impaired control, so slowing of gait is a proxy for challenges to control of gait.

       

      Table 1: Normative values of walking speed for healthy community-dwelling men and women

      Age (years)

      Gender

      Average Walking Speed (m/s)

      20-29

      Male

      1.36

      Female

      1.34

      30-39

      Male

      1.43

      Female

      1.34

      40-49

      Male

      1.43

      Female

      1.39

      50-59

      Male

      1.43

      Female

      1.31

      60-69

      Male

      1.34

      Female

      1.24

      70-79

      Male

      1.26

      Female

      1.13

      80-89

      Male

      0.97

      Female

      0.94

      Bohannon RW, Williams Andrews A. Normal walking speed: a descriptive meta-analysis. Physiotherapy. 2011;97(3):182-189. doi:10.1016/j.physio.2010.12.004

       

      Walking speed as an indicator of well-being and life expectancy in older adults - Walking speed has been shown to be associated with survival among older adults in individual epidemiological cohort studies and has been shown to reflect health and functional status.

      Studenski S, Perera S, Patel K, et al. Gait Speed and Survival in Older Adults. JAMA. 2011;305(1):50–58. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.1923

       

      Walking speed is correlated to fear of falling - Decreased speed, stride length, and double support are correlated to the fear of falling, while increases in stride variability are correlated to actual fall risk.

      Maki BE. Gait changes in older adults: predictors of falls or indicators of fear. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1997;45(3):313-320. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.1997.tb00946.x

       

      Walking speed and concussion rehabilitation - Deficits in gait speed and other gait parameters persist in young athletes with concussions for longer than traditional tests may indicate, causing early RTP decisions.

      Howell, David R et al. “Using concurrent gait and cognitive assessments to identify impairments after concussion: a narrative review.” Concussion (London, England) vol. 3,1 CNC54. 19 Jan. 2018, doi:10.2217/cnc-2017-0014

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