§ 01
Functional Independence Tests
Clinical fitness assessment

Gait Speed (4-Metre Walk)

Measure walking speed — a powerful predictor of functional decline, hospitalisation, and mortality in older adults.

Equipment

Tape measure for 4 m course (plus 2 m acceleration and 2 m deceleration zones), stopwatch.

The protocol
  1. 01Mark an 8-metre course: 2 m acceleration zone, 4 m timed zone, 2 m deceleration zone.
  2. 02Client starts at the beginning of the acceleration zone.
  3. 03Instruct: "Walk at your usual, comfortable pace."
  4. 04Start the timer when the client's leading foot crosses the 2 m mark (start of timed zone).
  5. 05Stop the timer when the leading foot crosses the 6 m mark (end of timed zone).
  6. 06Calculate gait speed: 4 metres / time in seconds = m/s.
  7. 07Client may use their usual walking aid.
What to watch for
  • Client walking faster or slower than their usual pace.
  • Not allowing adequate acceleration and deceleration zones.
  • Starting/stopping the timer at the wrong marks.
Normative scoring

≥1.0 m/s: Normal. 0.8-1.0 m/s: Adequate but declining. 0.6-0.8 m/s: Increased risk of adverse outcomes. <0.6 m/s: High risk — predicts functional decline and disability.

Run it with GainPT

Run this test with branded client reports.

GainPT scores Gait Speed (4-Metre Walk) against published normative data and turns it into a clean, GainPT-branded PDF your client keeps. All 47 clinical tests, unlimited retests — free to start, no card required.