What is meant by the term 'gait'?

The term 'gait' specifically refers to the manner or pattern of walking. It encompasses the movements and coordination of the legs, posture, and rhythm of a person's locomotion. Understanding gait is crucial in fields such as sports medicine, as it can reveal information about an individual's biomechanics and help in assessing injury risks or rehabilitation needs.

While the other choices touch upon aspects related to walking, they do not fully encapsulate the broader concept of gait. For example, the rhythm of walking and the speed of walking are components that may contribute to one’s gait but do not define it comprehensively. Similarly, the distance covered while walking pertains to how far one walks, which is a separate metric unrelated to the actual movement pattern itself. Hence, the action of walking is the most accurate representation of what gait entails.