§ 01
Cardiovascular
Clinical fitness assessment

Rockport Walk Test

Estimate VO2max from a 1-mile walk — suitable for lower-fitness or older clients who cannot run.

Equipment

Measured 1-mile (1609 m) course, stopwatch, heart rate monitor.

The protocol
  1. 01Measure a 1-mile course on flat ground.
  2. 02Client walks the mile as fast as possible without jogging or running.
  3. 03Record the time to complete the mile (in minutes and fractions).
  4. 04Immediately record the heart rate at the finish (use HR monitor for accuracy).
  5. 05VO2max is calculated from: time, heart rate, weight, age, and gender.
What to watch for
  • Client breaking into a jog — must walk at all times.
  • Not recording heart rate immediately at the finish.
  • Walking on hilly or uneven terrain.
Normative scoring

Used to calculate VO2max. The formula accounts for age, gender, weight, time, and HR. General: completing in <13 minutes with HR <120 suggests good fitness. >18 minutes or HR >160 suggests low fitness.

Run it with GainPT

Run this test with branded client reports.

GainPT scores Rockport Walk Test 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.