Words matter: instructions dictate self-selected walking speed in young adults

Background: Variability in gait speed is influenced by age and health status. However, no study has investigated the effects of different instructions on gait speed. Research question: This study investigated how walking prompts contributed to variability in gait speed. Methods: Participants walked on a pressurized walkway. Gait speed variability was assessed using multilevel modeling. Results: 61% of the variance in gait speed was due to instruction, while 14% was due to individual differences. Significance: Reference values for gait speed across a number of prompts will be highly useful for assessing gait performance in young adults. Further, the instruction given produces a large amount of variability in selected walking speed. This finding urges researchers to maintain consistency when delivering walking instructions.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effects of different instructions on gait speed variability and found that instructions have a significant impact on variability. This finding highlights the importance of consistency when delivering walking instructions.