Walking Speed: Reference Values and Correlates for Older Adults

Speed is established as an important aspect of gait. This research was performed to establish reference values for comfortable and maximal gait speed and to describe the relationship of selected variables with speed. Apparently healthy men (N = 77) and women (N = 79), age 50–79 years, participated. Their gait speeds were determined using a stopwatch. The static strength of five lower extremity muscle actions was measured with a hand-held dynamometer. As gait speed was found to correlate significantly with gender, separate reference values are presented for men and women. Muscle strength correlated more highly with maximal gait speed than with comfortable gait speed. Correlations of maximal speed with strength (except ankle dorsiflexion) were all significant at p < .001. Multiple regression analysis selected gender, body weight, and hip flexion strength as the best set of predictors of both speeds. The speed data presented here may be useful for patient comparisons. The correlations provide limited support for measuring and treating muscle strength deficits among the elderly with walking speed limitations.