Faster and more functional walking reduces risk factors for cardiovascular disease, recurrent stroke, and frailty by permitting opportunity for exercise and fitness. Interneuron-linked oscillators within the lumbar cord for flexion and extension of the hindlimbs, called central pattern generators (CPGs), have become a target for locomotor training interventions and neural repair. Rationales for gait retraining in patients draws from animal models about specific sensory inputs that aid the timing and efficacy of the step cycle. The gait cycle is assessed by educated observational skills and knowledge of the disease and its resulting symptoms and impairments. Strategies for retraining gait start with interventions to improve control of the head and trunk when necessary, then proceed to sitting and standing balance. Whether an individual patient is in rehabilitation as an inpatient or outpatient or participating in a clinical trial, sensitive and reliable outcome measures determine the success of an intervention for walking.