Feasibility of a 2-km walking test for fitness assessment in a population study

A simple 2-km Walking Test has been developed for determining the cardiorespiratory fitness of healthy adults. In the present study the following aspects of the feasibility of this test for population assessment were investigated: participation willingness, the percentage of test qualified subjects, the percentage of acceptable test performances and the resources needed for field test administration. A representative sample was drawn from the 27 to 65-year-old population in a rural municipality in northeastern Finland. Subjects were recruited on the basis of the results of health questionnaires and interviews. One fourth of the volunteers were excluded from the test because of health problems. The 2-km walking tests were administered outdoors in the municipality center. More than 50% of the subjects successfully completed two consecutive walking tests. This study indicated that the 2-km Walking Test is a feasible alternative as a measure of cardiovascular fitness for large population groups and could potentially be used in exercise related health promotion programmes.