‘Six Minute Walk Test’- for Monitoring Fitness of Lungs

It has become necessary to check the functioning of our lungs in recent times during the global pandemic and it can be done with a simple test prescribed by the health department of Maharashtra. It is a six minute walk test and the Principal Secretary of Maharashtra Pradeep Vyas has appealed to increase the awareness among the citizens about the simple test which can be done at home.

This test helps to identify the depletion in oxygen level and the patient can be immediately admitted to the hospital if the level drops below the critical level.

The test is necessary for those,

who have fever, cough and cold or symptoms of Corona infection as well as for those patients who are in home isolation.

How to do the test

Note down the Oxygen level with the help of pulse oximeter by putting your finger in the oximeter ( properly keeping the finger in contact with the sensor). Do not remove the oximeter  and start walking in the room with the oximeter on your finger and walk for six minutes( do not climb stairs). Ensure that you are not walking too fast or too slow and you are walking with normal speed. After walking for six minutes note down the oxygen level again.

If the Oxygen level is not dropped after six minutes then you can consider yourself to be healthy and even if the level is dropped by 1 or 2 percent, you need not worry and repeat the test for 2 more times and monitor for the change in the level.

Conclusion of the Test

If the Oxygen level is dropped below 93 or it is reducing by more than 3 percent of the initial level registered before walking and the person is feeling tired or exhausted and breathless after walking for six minutes, then it can be deduced that the person is not getting enough oxygen according to his/her requirement and needs to be hospitalised immediately.

Those who feel breathlessness even while sitting should not perform this test. Persons above 60 years of age can do this test for 3 minutes instead of 6 minutes.