Table 2.
Comfortable walking speed (self-selected) at different ages for healthy males (M), females (F), and mixed populations (M & F)
| Study | Gender | Age range | Mean age | Mean speed | Setting | Number of subjects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murray [182] | M | 20 - 25 | 21.5 | 1.50 | 10m walkway | 8 |
| M | 30 - 35 | 32.4 | 1.43 | 8 | ||
| M | 40 - 45 | 42.9 | 1.59 | 8 | ||
| M | 50 - 55 | 53.0 | 1.57 | 8 | ||
| M | 60 - 65 | 62.8 | 1.45 | 8 | ||
| M | 67 - 73 | 71.1 | 1.18 | 8 | ||
| M | 74 - 80 | 76.0 | 1.23 | 8 | ||
| M | 81 - 87 | 85.0 | 1.18 | 8 | ||
| Hageman [183] | F | 20 - 33 | 23.9 | 1.60 | 10m walkway | 13 |
| F | 60 - 84 | 66.6 | 1.32 | 13 | ||
| Waters [149] | F | 20 - 59 | 40.1 | 1.29 | 60.5m walkway | 34 |
| F | 60 - 80 | 68.9 | 1.20 | 47 | ||
| M | 20 - 59 | 38.5 | 1.36 | 39 | ||
| M | 60 - 80 | 67.1 | 1.28 | 26 | ||
| M & F | 20 - 59 | 39.2 | 1.33 | 73 | ||
| M & F | 60 - 80 | 68.2 | 1.23 | 73 | ||
| Blanke [184] | M | 20 - 33 | 24.5 | 1.31 | 14m walkway | 12 |
| M | 60 - 74 | 63.6 | 1.39 | 12 | ||
| Elble [80] | M & F | 20 - 39 | 30.0 | 1.18 | 10m walkway | 20 |
| M & F | 65 - 87 | 74.7 | 0.94 | 20 | ||
| Öberg [185] | M | 20 - 29 | 24.5* | 1.23 | 10m walkway | 15 |
| M | 30 - 39 | 34.5* | 1.32 | 15 | ||
| M | 40 - 49 | 44.5* | 1.33 | 15 | ||
| M | 50 - 59 | 54.5* | 1.25 | 15 | ||
| M | 60 - 69 | 64.5* | 1.28 | 15 | ||
| M | 70 - 79 | 74.5* | 1.18 | 14 | ||
| F | 20 - 29 | 24.5* | 1.24 | 15 | ||
| F | 30 - 39 | 34.5* | 1.29 | 15 | ||
| F | 40 - 49 | 44.5* | 1.25 | 15 | ||
| F | 50 - 59 | 54.5* | 1.11 | 15 | ||
| F | 60 - 69 | 64.5* | 1.16 | 15 | ||
| F | 70 - 79 | 74.5* | 1.11 | 15 | ||
| Ostrosky [186] | M & F | 22 - 39 | 28.2 | 1.38 | 6m walkway | 30 |
| M & F | 60 - 80 | 67.5 | 1.27 | 30 | ||
| Bohannon [187] | M | 50 - 79 | 64.4 | 1.41 | 7.6m walkway | 77 |
| F | 50 - 79 | 64.3 | 1.30 | 79 | ||
| Bohannon [63] | M | 20 - 29 | 23.9 | 1.39 | 7.6m walkway | 15 |
| M | 30 - 39 | 34.2 | 1.46 | 13 | ||
| M | 40 - 49 | 44.9 | 1.46 | 22 | ||
| M | 50 - 59 | 54.9 | 1.39 | 22 | ||
| M | 60 - 69 | 66.2 | 1.36 | 18 | ||
| M | 70 - 79 | 73.0 | 1.33 | 22 | ||
| F | 20 - 29 | 22.2 | 1.41 | 22 | ||
| F | 30 - 39 | 35.1 | 1.42 | 23 | ||
| F | 40 - 49 | 44.1 | 1.39 | 21 | ||
| F | 50 - 59 | 53.8 | 1.40 | 21 | ||
| F | 60 - 69 | 64.8 | 1.30 | 18 | ||
| F | 70 - 79 | 73.1 | 1.27 | 20 | ||
| Auvinet [188] | M | 20 - 29 | 24.5* | 1.59 | 40m walkway | 24 |
| M | 30 - 39 | 34.5* | 1.54 | 26 | ||
| M | 40 - 49 | 44.5* | 1.63 | 22 | ||
| M | 50 - 59 | 54.5* | 1.42 | 25 | ||
| M | 60 - 69 | 64.5* | 1.47 | 28 | ||
| M | >70 | 74.5* | 1.32 | 13 | ||
| F | 20 - 29 | 24.5* | 1.54 | 25 | ||
| F | 30 - 39 | 34.5* | 1.56 | 27 | ||
| F | 40 - 49 | 44.5* | 1.50 | 29 | ||
| F | 50 - 59 | 54.5* | 1.48 | 24 | ||
| F | 60 - 69 | 64.5* | 1.35 | 25 | ||
| F | >70 | 74.5* | 1.26 | 14 | ||
| Malatesta [189] | M & F | 62 - 70 | 66.9 | 1.38 | treadmill | 10 |
| M & F | 79 - 87 | 82.8 | 1.16 | 10 | ||
| Menz [190] | M & F | 22 - 40 | 28.5 | 1.43 | 8.6m walkway | 30 |
| M & F | 76 - 87 | 80.8 | 1.16 | 31 | ||
| Laufer [191] | M & F | 20 - 31 | 24.0 | 1.46 | 6.6m walkway | 30 |
| M & F | 65 - 89 | 77.7 | 1.00 | 40 | ||
| Kang [192] | M & F | 18 - 28 | 23.3 | 1.30 | treadmill | 18 |
| M & F | 65 - 85 | 72.1 | 1.29 | 18 | ||
| Mazza [193] | M & F | 24.4 | 1.30 | 12m walkway | 16 | |
| M & F | 72.0 | 0.97 | 20 | |||
| Kavanagh [194] | M & F | 23.0 | 1.32 | 30m walkway | 13 | |
| Mazza [195] | M | 23.0 | 1.33 | 12m walkway | 20 | |
| F | 23.0 | 1.34 | 20 | |||
| Chung [196] | M | <30 | 27.4 | 1.08 | 8m walkway | 5 |
| M | 31 - 45 | 39.8 | 1.12 | 5 | ||
| M | >45 | 51.0 | 0.99 | 5 | ||
| F | <30 | 23.6 | 1.20 | 5 | ||
| F | 31 - 45 | 31.2 | 1.11 | 5 | ||
| F | <30 | 57.6 | 0.90 | 5 | ||
| Iosa [71] | M & F | 31.0 | 1.21 | 10m walkway | 13 | |
| Goutier [197] | M | 22.0 | 1.30 | 12.5m walkway | 10 | |
| M | 71.0 | 1.30 | 10 | |||
| F | 24.0 | 1.30 | 10 | |||
| F | 71.0 | 1.20 | 10 | |||
| Peterson [198] | M | 20 - 30 | 24.7 | 1.28 | 12.5m walkway | 6 |
| M | 65 - 80 | 72.7 | 1.31 | 8 | ||
| F | 20 - 30 | 26.4 | 1.38 | 6 | ||
| F | 65 - 80 | 69.9 | 1.32 | 8 | ||
| Lamoth [199] | M & F | >70 | 79.4 | 0.95 | 40m walkway | 13 |
| Ijmker [200] | M & F | 55 - 70 | 64.3 | 1.19 | 10m walkway | 12 |
| M & F | 75 - 85 | 76.9 | 1.14 | 14 | ||
| Iosa [167] | M & F | 62.8 | 1.15 | 20m walkway | 10 | |
| Senden [201] | M & F | 74.2 | 1.23 | 40m walkway | 50 | |
| Arnold [202] | M & F | 23.2 | 1.34 | 10m walkway | 20 | |
| M & F | 73.2 | 1.14 | 20 | |||
| Terrier [203] | M & F | 20 - 29 | 24.7 | 1.10 | treadmill | 20 |
| M & F | 30 - 39 | 34.6 | 1.13 | 20 | ||
| M & F | 40 - 49 | 43.9 | 1.11 | 20 | ||
| M & F | 50 - 59 | 54.8 | 1.04 | 20 | ||
| M & F | 60 - 69 | 63.3 | 1.06 | 20 |
Depending on the study, speed was determined at a walkway or a treadmill. For some studies the age range was not specified. If the mean age was not published, the mean of the age range was used (*). Self-selected speed was determined in some studies using short walkways. It is unclear how representative such a measurement is for self-selected level walking speeds over longer periods of time. Slower values are expected