Health · Fitness & Nutrition · 17 hrs ago
Walking below 0.8 metres per second may warrant medical attention
A study published in JAMA Network Open found that walking speed is linked with mortality risk, even after researchers accounted for daily step counts.
Walking pace can reflect how well the heart, lungs, muscles, nerves and brain work together.
For most healthy adults, a pace of about 1 to 1.3 metres per second is considered reasonable, while speeds below 0.8 metres per second may signal reduced physical function, particularly in older adults.
These figures are not universal: age, fitness, joint problems and existing health conditions can all affect pace.
A gradual or unexplained slowdown may be associated with conditions such as cardiovascular disease, muscle loss, neurological disorders or frailty, so a change from your usual pace deserves attention.
You can check your speed by walking a marked 10 metres at your normal pace and dividing the distance by the time taken.
The test cannot diagnose a condition, but a slowdown with symptoms such as breathlessness or dizziness warrants medical assessment.
Walking speed can offer clues about physical health and is associated with mortality risk, according to research published in JAMA Network Open.
A speed below 0.8 metres per second, particularly among older adults, may indicate reduced physical function and warrant further investigation.
For most healthy adults, a speed of about 1 to 1.3 metres per second is considered reasonable.
A gradual or unexplained decline in walking speed can sometimes be linked to conditions including cardiovascular disease, muscle loss, neurological disorders and frailty.
A simple home test involves walking 10 metres at a comfortable pace and dividing the distance by the time taken.
- Who
- Adults whose walking speed is slowing, particularly older adults.
- What
- Walking speeds below 0.8 metres per second may indicate reduced physical function and warrant further investigation.
- When
- Not stated
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- Walking speed reflects how several body systems work together and is associated with mortality risk.
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- Lower speed of concern
- Below 0.8 metres per second
- Reasonable speed
- About 1 to 1.3 metres per second
- Home test distance
- 10 metres
- Study outlet
- JAMA Network Open
- Expert
- Dr Dhanashree Atre Singh, Jupiter Hospital, Thane
What people are saying
Walking speed is a very simple measure of how well the various systems in the body are working in unison.
That doesn’t mean walking faster will necessarily extend your life. It just shows that mobility is a marker of health.
If your walking speed has reduced for no apparent reason, particularly in the presence of unexplained fatigue, breathlessness, dizziness or balance problems, it would be sensible to have a medical assessment.