Walking Speed: A Factor in the Physical Fitness of the Elderly

The main purpose of the study was to explore whether gait velocity predicts the  level of separate and overall physical fitness. In this study, we asked one hundred and twenty older adults over the age of 60 (mean ± SD age 71 ± 7 38 years, height 159 ± 21 cm, weight 70 ± 13 kg) to complete a Senior Fitness Test battery to assess the level of physical fitness and walked across the Zebris pressure platform (Munich, Germany) to measure gait velocity. To calculate overall physical fitness, we summed z-score values of each physical fitness test. Pearson’s coefficient (r) was used to determine the level of correlation and coefficient of determination (r2) for variance explained between gait velocity and physical fitness. Respondents conducted a battery of six tests: “chair stand in 30 s”, “arm curl in 30 s”, “2–minute step test”, “chair sit-and-reach test”, “back scratch test” and “8-feet up-and-go test”. Gait velocity was significantly correlated with chair stand in 30 sec (r=0.45, r2=20%,  p<0.001), arm curl in 30 sec (r=0.56, r2=31%, p<0.001), 2-minute step test (r=0.44, r2=19%,  p<0.001), chair sit-and-reach test (r=0.46, r2=21%, p<0.001), back scratch test (r=0.30,  r2=9%, p<0.001) and 8-feet up-and-go test (r=-0.23, r2=5%, p=0.011). Gait velocity was not significantly correlated with waist circumference (r=0.12, r2=1%, p=0.189). Overall physical fitness was strongly correlated with gait velocity (r=0.75, r2=56%, p<0.001). In conclusion this study shows that gait velocity may be an easy and quick screening tool to predict the level of separate and overall physical fitness in a sample of older adults.   Keywords: elderly, speed, performance, correlation, tool