Walking speed can be calculated using which formula?

Walking speed can be calculated using which formula?

• A. Walking speed = Step width × base of support
• B. Walking speed = Step length × cadence
• C. Walking speed = Oxygen cost ÷ body weight
• D. Walking speed = Hip ROM × ankle ROM

Answer: (B)

Understanding how walking speed is determined: velocity is distance per unit time, so in gait analysis you estimate speed by combining how far you move with each step and how often you take steps. Step length is the distance covered per step, and cadence is how many steps you take per unit time. Multiplying these gives speed: step length × cadence. If step length is in meters and cadence in steps per minute, you get meters per minute (convert to meters per second by dividing by 60). The other ideas don’t measure how far you travel in a given time: step width and base of support relate to stability, not velocity; oxygen cost divided by body weight reflects energy cost, not speed; and multiplying hip ROM by ankle ROM mixes joint ranges that don’t translate to distance traveled per unit time.

Understanding how walking speed is determined: velocity is distance per unit time, so in gait analysis you estimate speed by combining how far you move with each step and how often you take steps. Step length is the distance covered per step, and cadence is how many steps you take per unit time. Multiplying these gives speed: step length × cadence. If step length is in meters and cadence in steps per minute, you get meters per minute (convert to meters per second by dividing by 60). The other ideas don’t measure how far you travel in a given time: step width and base of support relate to stability, not velocity; oxygen cost divided by body weight reflects energy cost, not speed; and multiplying hip ROM by ankle ROM mixes joint ranges that don’t translate to distance traveled per unit time.