6-Minute Walk Test
The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) measures aerobic endurance by recording the total distance walked in 6 minutes on a measured course. It is part of the Senior Fitness Test battery (Rikli & Jones 1999, n=7,183 US community-dwelling adults aged 60-94). Percentile curves (P5-P95) are from the Senior Fitness Test Manual, 2nd edition (2013), modelled from the same sample. The SFT version uses a 50-yard indoor course; participants walk as far as possible in 6 minutes.
How to Perform This Test
- Equipment
-
- Measured 50-yard (45.7 m) rectangular indoor course
- Cones or tape to mark laps
- Stopwatch
- Tally counter
- Steps
-
- Mark out a 50-yard (45.7 m) course with cones at each end.
- Participant starts on command and walks as quickly as safely possible around the course.
- Lap count is recorded by the tester at each pass.
- At 6 minutes the tester calls 'Stop' and marks the participant's position.
- Scoring
Total distance walked in 6 minutes, recorded to the nearest yard. Multiply completed laps by 50 yards and add the partial lap distance.
- Notes
Participants may slow down, stop, or rest but the clock keeps running. Running is not permitted. Walking aids are allowed if normally used.
Data source: Rikli & Jones (SFT) About this study
6-Minute Walk Test Norms by Age and Sex (yards)
| Age | Sex | Percentile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 95th | ||
| 60-64 | Male | 523 | 612 | 674 | 736 | 825 |
| Female | 465 | 547 | 603 | 659 | 741 | |
| 65-69 | Male | 462 | 562 | 631 | 700 | 800 |
| Female | 402 | 500 | 568 | 636 | 734 | |
| 70-74 | Male | 445 | 544 | 612 | 680 | 779 |
| Female | 387 | 482 | 548 | 614 | 709 | |
| 75-79 | Male | 348 | 471 | 555 | 639 | 762 |
| Female | 322 | 433 | 509 | 585 | 696 | |
| 80-84 | Male | 327 | 444 | 524 | 604 | 721 |
| Female | 270 | 384 | 462 | 540 | 654 | |
| 85-89 | Male | 244 | 382 | 477 | 572 | 710 |
| Female | 214 | 340 | 426 | 512 | 638 | |
| 90-94 | Male | 160 | 304 | 403 | 502 | 646 |
| Female | 150 | 273 | 357 | 441 | 564 | |
What to expect by age group
Among adults aged 60 to 64, the middle 50% walk 612 to 736 yards for men and 547 to 659 yards for women. Distance declines steadily with each 5-year bracket, falling roughly 25 to 35% from the early 60s to the early 90s; men walk about 70 yards farther than women on average. Scores below 612 yards (men) or 547 yards (women) are typically below average for this age group; scores above 736 yards (men) or 659 yards (women) are above average.
| Age | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|
| 60-64 | 612 to 736 | 547 to 659 |
| 65-69 | 562 to 700 | 500 to 636 |
| 70-74 | 544 to 680 | 482 to 614 |
| 75-79 | 471 to 639 | 433 to 585 |
| 80-84 | 444 to 604 | 384 to 540 |
| 85-89 | 382 to 572 | 340 to 512 |
| 90-94 | 304 to 502 | 273 to 441 |
Detailed Breakdowns
Select an age group and sex below for detailed percentile charts, tables, and ratings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the 6-minute walk test measure?
Aerobic endurance, meaning the ability to sustain moderate-intensity walking over 6 minutes. It reflects the functional capacity needed for daily tasks like shopping, walking around the neighbourhood, and climbing stairs.
How is the test performed?
The full step-by-step protocol is detailed in the 'How to Perform This Test' section above.
How does this relate to the 2-minute step test?
Both are part of the Senior Fitness Test battery and measure aerobic endurance. The 2-minute step test (marching in place) is a space-saving alternative for settings where a 50-yard walking course is not available. The two tests are moderately correlated (r ≈ 0.73).
Why does this metric only cover ages 60-94?
The Senior Fitness Test was designed for older adults. The normative data (Rikli & Jones, n=7,183) was collected from community-dwelling adults aged 60-94.
Where do the percentile values come from?
The percentile curves come from the Senior Fitness Test Manual (Rikli & Jones 2013, 2nd ed., ISBN 978-1-4504-1118-9), which models P5 through P95 from the original sample of 7,183 community-dwelling US adults aged 60-94 (Rikli & Jones 1999, DOI). All five percentiles we display (P5, P25, P50, P75, P95) come directly from the source, so no approximation is needed.
Related Metrics
Senior Fitness Test Battery
This metric is part of the Senior Fitness Test, a validated 7-test battery for adults aged 60-94.