Walking in the Real World: Concepts Related to Functional Gait (Invited Clinical Commentary‪)‬

ABSTRACT Walking in the real world is highly complex and presents the individual with a challenging task. Physiotherapists involved in gait rehabilitation increasingly consider aspects of functional gait, that is, the skills required to carry out complex tasks and negotiate a range of environments. Preparation for 'real world' walking requires us to view locomotion in different terms. It is no longer sufficient to consider gait as a mostly automatic motor activity, but rather one that requires the integration of motor function with cognitive processes such as attention, memory and planning. A focus on high level gait performance therefore requires a focus on cognition. This commentary poses a series of clinically-based questions to facilitate understanding of the topic, and to highlight areas for future consideration.