Abstract
The present study examined the relation between walking velocity and motor ability, motor fitness scale and functional capacity. The subjects were 35 males and females aged from 65 to 89 years. The participants walked on 5 m walkway at their preferred and maximum velocity. Walking velocity, step length, step rate, and walk ratio were calculated. We obtained the following findings. 1) Walking speeds exhibited a significant correlation with the Motor Fitness Scale (MFS) and balance ability. 2) The determinant of preferred walking velocity was MFS. The results suggest that preferred walking velocity could be used mesuring for physical fitness in community-dwelling elderly; preferred walking velocity was a better measure of physical fitness in the elderly than maximum walking velocity.
