Walking Speed: Females, Age 80+
Comfortable (self-selected) walking speed is a widely used clinical measure of functional mobility. Data are from a meta-analysis of 41 international studies (n=23,111). Percentile spreads are estimated using standard deviations from the NIH Toolbox normative study.
Data source: Bohannon & Williams Andrews About this study
Walking Speed Mobility Females 80+
walking speed gait speed walking pace comfortable walking speed functional mobility walking velocity 4 metre walk test norms percentiles reference ranges
Percentile Distribution (m/s)
| Percentile | Value (m/s) | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 5th | 0.55 | Poor |
| 25th | 0.78 | Below average |
| 50th | 0.94 | Average |
| 75th | 1.1 | Above average |
| 95th | 1.34 | Excellent |
What these numbers mean for females aged 80+
A score around 0.94 m/s is typical (50th percentile) for females in this age group. Scores above about 1.1 m/s fall near the 75th percentile or higher, indicating above-average performance. Scores below about 0.78 m/s fall near the 25th percentile, about 75% of the reference population scored higher.
Percentiles show how common a value is, not whether it is healthy.