®Measure yourself
Take the test
Mark two points in a flat corridor and enter the distance between them. Press Start and walk back and forth between the two marks; each time you reach a mark, tap the big button, or have the person with you tap it. When time is up, add the last partial length and save.
Sex
Your previous results (on this device)
0
metres · 0 lengths
Ready
Stand at the starting mark and press Start.
Your results are stored only on this device; they are not sent anywhere.
How to do it
- Wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes, and use your medicines and inhalers as usual. Do not do heavy exercise in the 2 hours before the test; if you like, eat something light 1–2 hours beforehand.
- Mark two points in a flat, clear corridor. Bring the stick or walking frame you use; have someone with you.
- Sit and rest for about 10 minutes before you start.
- Press Start and for 6 minutes walk between the two marks, as far as you can at your own pace. Stop and rest if you need to; the time keeps running.
- When time is up, stop where you are, add the last partial length and save the result.
Safety
- Do not do the test if you have had a heart attack in the past month or your chest pain has recently changed.
- If your resting pulse is above 120 a minute or your blood pressure above 180/100, talk to your doctor first.
- Stop straight away if you have chest pain, intolerable breathlessness, leg cramps, staggering, heavy sweating or turn pale.
- If you use oxygen, use it during the test too, as your doctor has advised.
This page is for following your own progress; it does not replace the hospital test monitored with oxygen and pulse readings.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do it at home?
Yes, but use the result to follow your own progress. The international standard recommends a flat corridor of at least 30 metres, and the expected values for age and height were obtained under these conditions. The result can change as the course gets shorter: in one study people walked about 50 metres further on a 30-metre course than on a 10-metre course. Use the same course every time.
Why is it recommended to do it twice?
People usually walk further on their second attempt: in people with COPD the second test is on average 26 metres longer. So if you are doing it for the first time, you can repeat the test once fully rested and record the better result.
How big a change is meaningful?
In chronic lung disease, the change considered meaningful is about 30 metres (25–33 metres). This figure was mostly calculated from group averages; talk to your doctor or physiotherapist when interpreting your own results.
My distance has dropped. What does it mean?
In a study following 2,112 people with COPD for a year, a fall of 30 metres or more in 6-minute walk distance was linked to a higher risk of death. If your result has dropped clearly or your breathlessness has increased, talk to your doctor; this alone is not a diagnosis.
Can I stop during the test?
Yes. You can slow down, stop and rest, and carry on walking when you feel ready; the time keeps running. The aim is to walk as far as you can in 6 minutes at your own pace; do not run.
To measure your fitness in a small space, see the 2-minute step test; for related guides, see the COPD and exercise in heart failure pages.
Sources
- Holland AE, Spruit MA, Troosters T, et al. An official European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society technical standard: field walking tests in chronic respiratory disease. Eur Respir J. 2014;44(6):1428–1446.
- Enright PL, Sherrill DL. Reference equations for the six-minute walk in healthy adults. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1998;158(5 Pt 1):1384–1387.
- American Thoracic Society. Six-minute walk test (6MWT). Patient Education Series, 2021.
- ATS Committee on Proficiency Standards for Clinical Pulmonary Function Laboratories. ATS statement: guidelines for the six-minute walk test. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002;166(1):111–117.
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Six minute walk test. Version 2, February 2025.
- Polkey MI, Spruit MA, Edwards LD, et al. Six-minute-walk test in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: minimal clinically important difference for death or hospitalization. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2013;187(4):382–386. Summary: Royal Brompton & Harefield.