Speed Testing: Timed Up and Go

A client reports feeling unsteady when getting out of a chair and walking across the room.

Rather than relying only on their description, the Timed Up and Go Test provides a quick, repeatable way to measure basic functional mobility.

It captures several everyday tasks in one simple sequence:

• Standing from a chair
• Walking
• Turning
• Returning
• Sitting down with control

Quick Summary

• Test name: Timed Up and Go Test
• Also known as: TUG
• Purpose: Assess functional mobility, turning and transitional movement
• What it assesses: Sit-to-stand, gait, turning, return walking and sitting control
• Equipment required: Chair, 3 m walkway, marker line and stopwatch
• Key finding: Time to complete the task
• Best used with: Balance testing, gait speed, strength testing, falls history and client-reported function
• Key limitation: Fall-risk prediction varies by population and cut-off

What Is the Timed Up and Go Test?

The Timed Up and Go Test is a functional mobility assessment.

The client starts seated, stands up, walks 3 metres, turns around, walks back and sits down. The total time is recorded in seconds.

The original TUG was described by Podsiadlo and Richardson as a test of basic functional mobility in frail older adults.

Today, it is widely used because it is:

• Quick
• Low-cost
• Easy to repeat
• Simple to record
• Relevant to everyday function

Why the Test Is Used

The TUG is used to assess functional mobility in a practical way.

It can help professionals monitor:

• Sit-to-stand ability
• Walking speed
• Turning control
• Balance during movement
• Confidence with mobility
• Changes over time
• Response to exercise or intervention blocks

It is especially useful when a client reports difficulty with everyday movement tasks such as getting out of a chair, walking indoors, turning or sitting down safely.

What the Test Measures

The TUG measures the time needed to complete a basic mobility sequence.

It reflects:

• Lower-limb function
• Sit-to-stand capacity
• Walking speed
• Dynamic balance
• Turning ability
• Coordination
• Movement confidence

It does not identify the exact cause of a mobility limitation.

A slower score may be influenced by:

• Strength
• Balance
• Pain
• Fatigue
• Confidence
• Vision
• Assistive device use
• Gait pattern
• Turning strategy

For this reason, the TUG should be interpreted with other findings.

Who the Test Is Useful For

The TUG may be useful for:

• Older adults
• Clients with balance concerns
• Clients with reduced walking confidence
• Clients with mobility limitations
• Clients returning to walking function
• General population clients where functional mobility is relevant
• Clients completing falls-risk screening as part of a broader assessment

It is most useful when the professional wants a simple measure of everyday movement ability.

Equipment Required

You will need:

• Standard chair
• 3 m clear walkway
• Tape or marker line
• Stopwatch or timing system
• Measurz or MAT recording system

Optional:

• Notes on assistive device use
• Notes on footwear
• Supervision where appropriate
• Video review for gait or turning strategy

The original protocol used a chair with armrests, so chair type and armrest use should be recorded.

Step-by-Step Protocol

Place a chair at the start point.

Mark a line 3 metres from the front of the chair.

Ask the client to sit with:

• Back against the chair
• Feet flat on the floor
• Arms positioned according to your chosen protocol
• Usual footwear and walking aid if normally used

Explain the task clearly:

“When I say go, stand up, walk at your comfortable pace to the line, turn around, walk back and sit down.”

Start timing when the instruction to go is given, or when the client begins moving, depending on your chosen protocol.

Stop timing when the client is seated again.

Record the time in seconds.

Repeat trials only if this is part of your protocol. If multiple trials are used, record whether the final score is the best time, average time or first trial.

Scoring and Interpretation

The score is the time taken to complete the test.

A lower time generally suggests better functional mobility.

A higher time may indicate slower movement, reduced balance confidence, difficulty turning or reduced sit-to-stand capacity.

Interpretation should consider:

• Age
• Health status
• Assistive device use
• Chair height
• Armrest use
• Footwear
• Pain
• Fatigue
• Confidence
• Falls history
• Gait quality
• Turning strategy

The TUG is useful for tracking change, but it should not be used alone to make decisions about falls risk or mobility status.

Normative Data, Benchmarks or Reference Values

Reference values vary by age, population and protocol.

A descriptive meta-analysis by Bohannon reported the following reference values for apparently healthy older adults:

• 60–69 years: approximately 8.1 seconds
• 70–79 years: approximately 9.2 seconds
• 80–99 years: approximately 11.3 seconds
• Overall 60+ years: approximately 9.4 seconds

These values are useful as general reference points, but they should not be applied to every client without context. Chair setup, use of armrests, timing rules, walking speed instructions and assistive device use can all affect results. ()

The commonly used 13.5-second cut-off has often been discussed in relation to falls risk. However, systematic review evidence suggests that this threshold has limited ability to predict falls in community-dwelling older adults and should not be used in isolation. One meta-analysis reported pooled sensitivity of 0.31 and specificity of 0.74 at the 13.5-second threshold. ()

Practical interpretation:

• Around 10 seconds or less is often considered typical for many healthy older adults
• Slower scores may suggest reduced functional mobility
• A result above a cut-off should trigger broader assessment, not automatic classification
• Change over time may be more useful than one isolated score

Reliability and Validity

The TUG is widely used and practical, but reliability and validity depend on the population and protocol.

The original TUG study reported strong association with balance, gait speed and functional measures in frail older adults. Later systematic review evidence suggests that the TUG can be useful as part of a mobility and falls-risk assessment, but it is not strong enough to predict falls by itself. ()

Recent research has also reviewed instrumented versions of the TUG, which use sensors to capture more detailed movement data. A 2025 systematic review found that instrumented TUG research is growing, but interpretation still depends on the device, metric and population studied. ()

To improve consistency:

• Use the same chair setup
• Use the same timing rule
• Record assistive device use
• Keep the walkway distance consistent
• Use the same walking instruction
• Record whether a practice trial was used
• Document pain, fatigue and confidence

Sensitivity and Specificity

Sensitivity and specificity are only relevant when the TUG is used as part of falls-risk screening.

They should not be treated as universal values.

For community-dwelling older adults, one systematic review and meta-analysis found that a 13.5-second cut-off had limited ability to predict falls, with pooled sensitivity of 0.31 and specificity of 0.74. The authors concluded that the TUG should not be used alone to identify high fall-risk individuals in that setting. ()

This supports using the TUG alongside:

• Falls history
• Balance testing
• Gait speed
• Strength testing
• Medication or health context where relevant
• Client confidence
• Functional task observation

Common Errors and Testing Limitations

Common errors include:

• Using different chair heights
• Changing armrest use
• Changing the timing start or stop rule
• Not recording assistive device use
• Changing walking instructions
• Not marking exactly 3 metres
• Not recording footwear
• Comparing results across different protocols
• Using one score alone to determine falls risk

Key limitations include:

• It does not identify the cause of reduced mobility
• It may not detect subtle balance problems in higher-functioning clients
• Fall-risk prediction varies by population
• Results can be affected by pain, fatigue, confidence and walking aid use
• Cut-offs should not be applied without context

Practical Applications

Use the TUG to:

• Monitor functional mobility
• Track change over time
• Assess sit-to-stand and turning ability
• Support falls-risk conversations
• Guide further assessment
• Compare mobility before and after an exercise or intervention block

It works best when paired with other measures, such as gait speed, balance testing, lower-limb strength testing and client-reported function.

How to Record This in Measurz

In Measurz, record enough detail to make the test repeatable.

Useful fields include:

• Time in seconds
• Trial number
• Best or average score
• Chair type
• Chair height if known
• Armrest use
• Assistive device use
• Footwear
• Timing rule
• Walking instruction
• Pain score
• Fatigue rating
• Confidence rating
• Gait quality
• Turning strategy
• Balance loss or hesitation
• Symptoms during the test

Example note:

“TUG completed using 3 m walkway and chair with armrests. Usual footwear used. No walking aid. Average of three trials recorded: 10.8 seconds. Mild hesitation on turn. No pain reported.”

Related Tests or Internal Linking Suggestions

Useful related assessments include:

• 10 m Walk Test
• 6-Minute Walk Test
• 2-Minute Step-in-Place Test
• Single Leg Balance
• Sit-to-Stand Test
• Lower-limb strength testing
• Falls history
• Pain score
• Fatigue monitoring

FAQs

What does the Timed Up and Go Test measure?

It measures basic functional mobility, including standing from a chair, walking, turning, returning and sitting down.

What distance is used for the TUG?

The standard TUG uses a 3 metre walkway.

What is a normal TUG score?

Many healthy older adults complete the TUG in around 10 seconds or less. Reference values vary by age, protocol and health status.

Can the TUG predict falls?

The TUG may support falls-risk screening, but it should not be used alone. Fall prediction varies by population and cut-off.

Should a walking aid be used during the TUG?

If the client normally uses a walking aid, record this clearly and keep it consistent when comparing results over time.

Key Takeaways

• The TUG is a quick test of functional mobility.
• It assesses sit-to-stand, walking, turning and sitting control.
• Reference values vary by age, population and protocol.
• The 13.5-second falls cut-off should not be used alone.
• Measurz should record timing, setup, assistive device use and movement quality.

References

Bohannon, R. W. (2006). Reference values for the timed up and go test: A descriptive meta-analysis. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, 29(2), 64–68. https://doi.org/10.1519/00139143-200608000-00004

Barry, E., Galvin, R., Keogh, C., Horgan, F., & Fahey, T. (2014). Is the Timed Up and Go test a useful predictor of risk of falls in community dwelling older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Geriatrics, 14, 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2318-14-14

Podsiadlo, D., & Richardson, S. (1991). The timed “Up & Go”: A test of basic functional mobility for frail elderly persons. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 39(2), 142–148. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.1991.tb01616.x

Schoene, D., Wu, S. M. S., Mikolaizak, A. S., Menant, J. C., Smith, S. T., Delbaere, K., & Lord, S. R. (2013). Discriminative ability and predictive validity of the Timed Up and Go Test in identifying older people who fall: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 61(2), 202–208. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.12106

Zhou, J., Yao, Q., Han, R., De Bock, P., Vassard-Yu, G., Hallemans, A., & Van Laer, L. (2025). Reliability and validity of instrumented Timed Up and Go Test in typical adults and elderly: A systematic review. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 106(7), 1092–1107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2025.03.001