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Equations for Six Minute Walk Distance (6MWD) Using a 10 Meter Course

Purpose: To use the equations of Beekman et al for predicting the 6 minute walking distance over a 10 meter test course.

Description

Beekman et al developed equations for predicting the expected distance covered over a 10 meter long course. This is a distance that is shorter than the usual 20 to 50 meter courses that are recommended and entails many more turns. The authors are from Maastricht University, ParaMedisch Centrum Sittard Zuid, KU Leuven, University Hospital Leuven, and other institutions in The Netherlands.


 

Parameters:

(1) gender

(2) age in years

(3) body mass index in kg per square meter

(4) heart rate change in beats per minute

 

heart rate change =

= (heart rate at end of walk) – (heart rate while at rest before starting the walk)

 

Gender

Predicted distance in Meters

Lower Limit of Normal

female

1064 – (5.28 * (age)) – (6.55 * (BMI))

(predicted) – 119

female

878 – (3.6 * (age)) – (6.42 * (BMI)) + (1.95 * (heart rate change))

(predicted) - 101

male

1266 – (7.8 * (age)) – (5.92 * (BMI))

(predicted) - 163

male

1073 – (6.03 * (age)) – (5.79 * (BMI)) + (1.86 * (heart rate change))

(predicted) -146

 

From the actual distance traveled you can approximate the number of turns as:

 

number of turns =

= (distance) / 10

 


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Specialty

ICD-10