Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT)
The original purpose of the six minute walk was to test exercise tolerance in chronic respiratory disease and heart failure. The test has been widely used for preoperative and postoperative evaluation and for measuring the response to therapeutic interventions for pulmonary and cardiac disease. The test has since been used as a performance-based measure of functional exercise capacity in other populations including healthy older adults, people undergoing knee or hip arthroplasty, fibromyalgia, and scleroderma. It has also been used with children.
The six-minute walk test (6MWT) measures the distance an individual is able to walk over a total of six minutes on a hard, flat surface. The goal is for the individual to walk as far as possible in six minutes. The individual is allowed to self-pace and rest as needed as they traverse back and forth along a marked walkway.
- Links
- http://www.pulmonaryrehab.com.au/index.asp?page=19
- https://www.thoracic.org/statements/resources/pfet/sixminute.pdf
- Relevant Specialties
- Cardio-thoracic Surgery
- Cardiology
- Respiratory and Sleep Medicine
- Rheumatology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Medical Conditions
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Emphysema
Related Organisations
