Walking speed is a highly valid test , both at habitual and maximum speed .
Both habitual and maximum walking speeds are valid instruments , and they predict death , hospitalization/institutionalization , and decline in mobility
The number of available walking tests has increased dramatically over the past decades .
Therefore , it is highly important to help clinicians choose the most appropriate walking test for a specific setting .
This systematic review aim ed to critically evaluate the reliability , validity , and responsiveness of clinical walking speed in a broad population of elderly persons living in the community , sheltered housing , or institutions .
Dog ownership, walking behavior, and maintained mobility in late life.
OBJECTIVES To examine  dog walking among dog owners and the relationship between walking behavior of dog owners and non-dog owners and maintained gait speed over 3 years . DESIGN Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of a prospect i ve cohort study . SETTING Memphis , Tennessee , and Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . PARTICIPANTS Two thous and five hundred thirty-three community-dwelling adults aged 71 to 82 at 36 months of the Health , Aging and Body Composition Study . MEASUREMENTS  Dog ownership , reported walking behavior , change in walking behavior , and usual and rapid gait speed  over 3 years . RESULTS Of 394 dog owners , only 36 % walked their dogs at least three times per week . Cross-sectionally , dog walkers were more likely to achieve 150 minutes of walking per week and had faster usual and rapid walking speeds ( 1.20 vs 1.14 m/s and 1.62 vs 1.52 m/s , respectively ; P < .01 for both ) than non-dog owners who did not walk at least three times per week and similar speeds as non-dog owners who walked at least 150 minutes per week ( P > .50 ) . Three years later , subjects who had been dog walkers at baseline were approximately twice as likely as any other group to achieve recommended walking levels , independent of covariates . Dog walkers experienced similar declines in usual and rapid walking speed as non-dog owners who walked at least three times per week but maintained their initial mobility advantage . CONCLUSION Although dog ownership appears to facilitate walking behavior , only a minority of older dog owners walk their dogs . The mobility advantage of dog ownership was seen only in dog walkers and was similar to that associated with any walking . Given suboptimal walking activity in older adults , examining the degree to which dog ownership promotes walking activity in persons who do little walking on their own appears worth pursuing
Walking speed is a highly valid test , both at habitual and maximum speed .
Both habitual and maximum walking speeds are valid instruments , and they predict death , hospitalization/institutionalization , and decline in mobility
The number of available walking tests has increased dramatically over the past decades .
Therefore , it is highly important to help clinicians choose the most appropriate walking test for a specific setting .
This systematic review aim ed to critically evaluate the reliability , validity , and responsiveness of clinical walking speed in a broad population of elderly persons living in the community , sheltered housing , or institutions .