FallRisks Fall-risk check
On your phone · nothing uploaded

The 20-second walk test

How you actually move is one of the strongest signs of fall risk. Hold your phone, walk for twenty seconds, and its motion sensor reads your steadiness, cadence, and symmetry — measured, not guessed.

Ready when you are

Hold your phone in your hand or a pocket, tap start, and walk at your normal pace across a clear, level space. Have a wall, rail, or person nearby in case you feel unsteady.

How the walk test works

Reads your motion

Your phone's accelerometer samples ~50 times a second while you walk — three axes of real motion, the same signal wearable-motion research is built on.

Finds each step

A transparent pipeline detects each footfall, then measures how steady your rhythm is and how evenly your left and right sides move — the gait signs tied to falls.

Stays on your phone

Everything runs in your browser. No account, no upload, no server. Your motion data never leaves the device.

Why gait predicts falls. Slower, less steady, and more uneven walking are among the most validated predictors of falling. Gait speed alone predicts survival and independence in older adults (Studenski et al., JAMA 2011), and step-to-step variability rises before many falls. This test complements the CDC STEADI questions: STEADI asks about your history and balance; this measures how you actually move.

Clinicians: the full cutoffs and dosing evidence — TUG, Berg, SPPB, gait speed, plus Otago/LiFE/Sherrington dosing parameters — are at fallrisks.com/clinical →

This is a wellness screening check, not a medical device or a diagnosis. A phone in your hand or pocket is an approximate sensor; results vary with how you hold it, your walking surface, and your shoes. The gait-speed figure is an estimate, not a measured value. Do not use these numbers to start, stop, or change any treatment. If you have fallen, feel unsteady, or are worried about your balance, talk to a licensed clinician. Stop immediately if you feel dizzy or unsteady, and keep support within reach.