A wearable medical includes a walking detector module with a motion sensor that is configured to detect when the patient is walking or running. In embodiments, a parameter (referred to herein as a “Bouncy” parameter) is determined from Y-axis acceleration measurements. In some embodiments, the Bouncy parameter is a measurement of the AC component of the Y-axis accelerometer signal. This detection can be used by the medical device to determine how and/or whether to provide treatment to the patient wearing the medical device. For example, when used in a WCD, the walking detector can prevent “false alarms” because a walking patient is generally conscious and not in need of a shock.
