10 Meter Walk Test (10MWT) Gait Speed Calculator

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The 10MWT measures walking speed over the middle 6 meters of a 10-meter path. Gait speed is one of the most useful single numbers in rehab, and the 10MWT is highly recommended by the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy for Parkinson’s disease (stages 1 to 3), stroke and spinal cord injury. It takes about 5 minutes and needs a stopwatch and tape.

⚠️ Safety first

Stand close enough to help, keep the area clear and stop if the person feels dizzy, unsteady or has pain. Use a gait belt if your setting calls for one.

How to give the test

Mark a straight, level 10-meter (about 33-foot) path. Put tape at 0 m (start), 2 m, 8 m and 10 m (finish). Only the stretch from 2 m to 8 m is timed.
Have the person stand at the 0 m line. For comfortable speed, ask them to walk at their usual, comfortable pace and stop at the far line. For fast speed, ask them to walk as fast as they safely can and stop at the far line.
Start the stopwatch when the leading foot crosses the 2 m mark. Stop it when the leading foot crosses the 8 m mark.
Walk a half step behind the person so you don’t set the pace, and try not to talk during the trial.
Do one to three trials at each speed (the ANPT protocol uses two). Use their usual cane, walker or brace and record it, plus any physical help you gave.

0.0sec

Press Start when you say “Go.”

After each trial, tap a “Use timer” button to copy the time into the next empty box, or type the times yourself.

Timed distance (meters)

Assistive device

Physical help

Comfortable speed (times in seconds for the timed distance)

Comfortable trial 1 (sec)

Comfortable trial 2 (sec)

Comfortable trial 3 (sec)

Fast speed (optional)

Fast trial 1 (sec)

Fast trial 2 (sec)

Fast trial 3 (sec)

Optional details

Age

Sex (for reference speeds)

Prior comfortable speed (m/s)

This is a measurement, not a diagnosis. The 10MWT shows how fast someone walks a short distance. It can’t tell you why, or what treatment is needed. Results should be reviewed with a physical therapist or another licensed health care provider who examines the person.

Reading the result

Reference values, not pass/fail rules. The numbers below come from specific published study groups. Use them as a guide alongside your own examination.

Walking ability bands (people after stroke, comfortable speed): under 0.4 m/s, more likely to walk mainly at home; 0.4 to 0.8 m/s, limited community walking; above 0.8 m/s, community walking (Perry et al., 1995; Bowden et al., 2008).
Meaningful change (older adults and subacute stroke): about 0.05 m/s is a small meaningful change and about 0.10 m/s a substantial change (Perera et al., 2006).
Subacute stroke: an increase of 0.16 m/s in comfortable speed was the minimal clinically important difference (Tilson et al., 2010).

Average comfortable walking speed in healthy adults (Bohannon & Andrews, 2011, meta-analysis)
Age	Men	Women
60–69	1.34 m/s	1.24 m/s
70–79	1.26 m/s	1.13 m/s
80–99	0.97 m/s	0.94 m/s

Sources. Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy, Core Measure: 10 Meter Walk Test (10mWT) (cost: free). Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Rehabilitation Measures Database: 10 Meter Walk Test (cost: free). Perry J, et al. Classification of walking handicap in the stroke population. Stroke. 1995;26(6):982-989. Bowden MG, et al. Validation of a speed-based classification system using quantitative measures of walking performance poststroke. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2008;22(6):672-675. Perera S, et al. Meaningful change and responsiveness in common physical performance measures in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2006;54(5):743-749. Tilson JK, et al. Meaningful gait speed improvement during the first 60 days poststroke. Phys Ther. 2010;90(2):196-208. Bohannon RW, Andrews AW. Normal walking speed: a descriptive meta-analysis. Physiotherapy. 2011;97:182-189. Instructions on this page are written in our own words. Holsman Physical Therapy is not affiliated with these organizations, and they do not endorse this website.

Common Questions

What is the 10 Meter Walk Test?

The 10 Meter Walk Test (10MWT) measures walking speed in meters per second over a short distance. The person walks a 10-meter path and only the middle 6 meters are timed, so speeding up at the start and slowing down at the end are left out.

Comfortable or fast speed?

Both are useful. The Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy core-measure protocol tests comfortable speed first, then fast speed, with two trials of each, and averages the trials for each speed.

How is gait speed calculated?

Divide the timed distance (6 meters) by the average time in seconds. For example, 6 meters in 5.0 seconds is 1.20 m/s. This tool also shows feet per second.

What do the 0.4 and 0.8 m/s bands mean?

In people after stroke, comfortable speeds under 0.4 m/s have been linked to walking mostly at home, 0.4 to 0.8 m/s to limited community walking, and above 0.8 m/s to community walking (Perry et al., 1995; Bowden et al., 2008). They are reference bands from stroke research, not a diagnosis.

What change in speed is meaningful?

In older adults and people after stroke, about 0.05 m/s has been estimated as a small meaningful change and about 0.10 m/s as a substantial change (Perera et al., 2006). In subacute stroke, an improvement of 0.16 m/s was the minimal clinically important difference in one large study (Tilson et al., 2010).

Is my information saved?

No. Everything runs in your web browser. Nothing is sent to us or stored.

10 Meter Walk Test (10MWT)