Stand, walk 3 metres, turn, walk back, sit
The test times you from "Go" until you're sitting again, at your normal pace, in your usual shoes and with your usual walking aid.
Fitness test
Timed up and go (TUG) test: times by age and what they mean
The timed up and go (TUG) test times something you do every day: standing up from an armchair, walking 3 metres (10 feet) at your normal pace, turning, walking back and sitting down. Enter your time and age. From 60, the scorer compares it with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) 12-second mark, the point at which it suggests a fuller falls check, and with healthy adults your age; from 20 to 59, it compares it with one clinic study. Use your usual shoes and walking aid, and always have someone walk beside you. On its own the test predicts falls poorly, so if you've fallen or feel unsteady, talk to your GP whatever your time.
Score your timed up and go
Read the "Before you test" box first. Then enter your age and your time from "Go" until you sat back down, to a tenth of a second, and tick the boxes if you used a walking aid or walked as fast as you could.
Your time
10.0seconds
Under the CDC's 12-second mark.
Healthy adults aged 70 to 79 averaged about 9.2 seconds across 21 studies: your time is about average.
On its own, the timed up and go predicts falls poorly. A slow time is a reason for a fuller check, and a quick time doesn't mean you won't fall. If you've had a fall or a near-fall, or feel unsteady, ask your GP about a falls assessment whatever your time; in some areas you can refer yourself.
A change of about 2 seconds between tests is more than everyday variation.
How to do the timed up and go test
You need a standard chair with arms (a summary of the original study gives a seat about 46 cm high), a tape measure, tape or a cone to mark a line, a timer, and someone to walk beside you.
- Put a sturdy armchair against a wall, and mark a line on the floor 3 metres (10 feet) in front of it.
- Wear your usual shoes, and use your usual walking aid if you have one.
- Sit back in the chair. Your helper says "Go", starts the timer and walks beside you.
- Stand up, walk to the line at your normal, comfortable pace, turn, walk back to the chair and sit down again.
- The time stops when you're sitting back down. Note it to a tenth of a second.
- A practice go first is fine, as in the original study; time the next one.
Loading the 3D figure…
The movement on the figure: Sit to stand from a chair
The short version
The CDC's 12-second mark
The CDC says an older adult who takes 12 seconds or more "is at risk for falling". The World Falls Guidelines prefer walking speed, and use more than 15 seconds when the TUG is used instead.
On its own, a poor predictor of falls
In studies where about half the people fell, a slow time raised the chance of a fall only from 51% to 56%. The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says tests like it help to spot gait and balance problems but don't predict a person's risk of falling.
Average times by age
Across 21 studies, healthy adults averaged 8.1 seconds in their 60s, 9.2 in their 70s and 11.3 from 80. In one clinic, adults aged 20 to 59 averaged 8.6 to 9.9 seconds.
Always with someone beside you
The CDC's instruction to testers is "Always stay by the patient for safety".
Source 1
Strength, balance and walking help
Balance and functional exercise cut the rate of falls by 24% in trials. Do it 3 or more times a week, and make it harder over at least 12 weeks.
Norms by age
Seconds, to one decimal place. From 60, the scorer places your time against the average for your age group; from 20 to 59, against one clinic study.
Healthy older adults (Bohannon 2006)
Average times, with the 95% confidence interval of each average, pooled from 21 studies of healthy older adults. The scorer uses them because they pool the most studies of healthy older adults that we found (our choice):
- 60 to 69: 8.1 seconds (7.1 to 9.0)
- 70 to 79: 9.2 seconds (8.2 to 10.2)
- 80 to 99: 11.3 seconds (10.0 to 12.7)
- All aged 60 and over: 9.4 seconds (8.9 to 9.9)
Source 6
How the scorer reads them
Bohannon wrote that people whose time is above the upper limit of the interval "can be considered to have worse than average performance". So the scorer calls a time above the upper limit slower than average, a time below the lower limit quicker than average, and the rest about average. The interval describes the average, not how widely individual times spread (our reading), and the 21 studies used methods with "clear differences", so treat the comparison as rough. We could read only the paper's summary.
Source 6
Adults aged 20 to 59 (Kear 2017)
200 patients at an inner-city US primary care clinic, 50 in each decade, timed once at a normal walking speed from a sturdy armchair. Average time and standard deviation (SD), with the span of about two-thirds of people (the average plus or minus 1 SD, our arithmetic):
- 20s: average 8.6 seconds (SD 1.4); about two-thirds took 7.2 to 10.0
- 30s: average 8.6 seconds (SD 1.2); about two-thirds took 7.3 to 9.8
- 40s: average 8.9 seconds (SD 1.9); about two-thirds took 7.0 to 10.7
- 50s: average 9.9 seconds (SD 2.3); about two-thirds took 7.6 to 12.2
Source 7
Why the clinic figures are only a guide
They come from one clinic's patients rather than a healthy sample, and its patients in their 50s were slower on average than Bohannon's healthy adults in their 60s. The scorer shows no falls mark under 60, because the CDC's mark is for older adults.
A second check (Steffen 2002)
In 96 independent community-living people aged 61 to 89, average times were 8 seconds in their 60s, 9 in their 70s, and 10 (men) and 11 (women) in their 80s, close to Bohannon's averages. We read this table in a reprint.
Cut-offs you may see
These are lines for falls or daily function, not norms:
- 12 seconds or more: the CDC's "at risk for falling", for older adults.
- Over 13.5 seconds: a line from a study of 15 older people who had fallen and 15 who hadn't.
- Over 15 seconds: the World Falls Guidelines' line, when the TUG is used instead of walking speed.
- Under 20 seconds: independent in basic transfers, such as getting in and out of a chair; over 30 seconds: needing help (the original 1991 study, from a summary).
How much a time varies
The original study found the time reliable between testers and for the same tester. In 11 older people tested at an outpatient centre, the smallest change beyond measurement error was 1.8 seconds, and by video call it was under 2 seconds in 50 older adults; in hip osteoarthritis, 0.8 to 1.4 seconds quicker was a major improvement. So a change of about 2 seconds between tests is more than everyday variation (our reading).
What your result does and doesn't tell you
It times standing, walking and turning togetherStrong evidence
In the original 60 older day-hospital patients, averaging 79.5, longer times went with poorer balance, slower walking and more help with daily living (correlations of 0.81, 0.61 and 0.78), and the time seemed to predict who could safely go outside alone. The World Falls Guidelines note that it combines rising from sitting, walking and turning.
12 seconds is a flag for a fuller check, not a diagnosisStrong evidence
In a review that rated it among the best-supported functional tests for falls, 12 seconds or more raised a 30% chance of falling to 47%, and a quicker time lowered it to 25%, across studies of 6,410 older adults, more than half of which looked back at past falls.
On its own, it predicts falls poorlyStrong evidence
Across 10 cohorts of 2,314 people, a time over 13.5 seconds picked up only about a third of those who went on to fall. Across 53 studies, people who fell were only 0.63 seconds slower on average in healthy, active groups, and the authors concluded: "No cut-point can be recommended." NICE says tests like the TUG help in observing gait and balance problems, but "they do not predict a person's risk of falling".
Average times come from mixed methodsEmerging evidence
Bohannon's averages pool studies that differed in method, and falls studies varied in chair height (40 to 50 cm), whether arms were crossed and whether people were asked to walk quickly, any of which can change a time (our reading). The figures for 20 to 59 come from one clinic.
Strength and balance training prevents fallsStrong evidence
In a Cochrane review of 108 trials, exercise cut the rate of falls by 23%, and programmes built on balance and functional exercise by 24%, with high certainty. The World Falls Guidelines recommend balance-challenging, functional exercise 3 or more times a week, made harder over at least 12 weeks and then kept up.
It can get quickerEmerging evidence
In one trial of 100 women aged 55 to 75 with osteoporosis, 18 weeks of thigh strengthening and balance training improved their TUG times and cut their falls, compared with bone medicine alone.
Source 18
How well it predicts falls
Pooled studies of community-living older adults, and what the falls guidelines conclude.
Barry 2014: 10 cohorts, 2,314 peopleStrong evidence
At 13.5 seconds, the test picked up about a third of the people who went on to fall (sensitivity 0.32) and correctly cleared about three-quarters of those who didn't (specificity 0.73). Before testing, 51% of people in these studies fell; after a slow time the chance was 56%, and after a quick one 49%. The authors concluded that the TUG "should not be used in isolation".
Source 4
Schoene 2013: 53 studies, 12,832 peopleStrong evidence
People who fell took 0.63 seconds longer on average in healthy, high-functioning groups and 3.59 seconds longer in care homes. Most studies found the TUG added little once other factors were counted, cut-offs varied widely, and accuracy was "at best moderate".
Source 16
Lusardi 2017: the 12-second lineStrong evidence
Starting from a 30% chance of a fall, typical of older adults living at home, 12 seconds or more raised the chance to 47% and a quicker time lowered it to 25%, from studies of 6,410 older adults.
Source 15
Beauchet 2011: past falls, not future onesStrong evidence
Across 11 studies, slower times went with having fallen before, but only one study that looked forward found a link with later falls, so the test's ability to predict falls "remains limited".
Source 17
What the guidelines sayStrong evidence
NICE: "Do not use falls risk prediction tools to predict a person's risk of falling"; instead, it asks about falls and assesses the people who have had them. The World Falls Guidelines recommend walking speed, with the TUG over 15 seconds as an alternative, and call the evidence for sorting people by risk with it "mixed".
What this means for you (our reading)
A slow time is a reason for a fuller check, and a quick time doesn't mean you won't fall. If you've had a fall or a near-fall, or feel unsteady, ask your GP about a falls assessment whatever your time; in some areas you can refer yourself to a falls service.
Moves that improve your score
The test combines standing up, walking and turning, so train all three, next to a counter. Sit-to-stands, up to 10 (Otago). Marching on the spot, 1 to 2 minutes, holding support (Otago). Side-stepping, 10 steps each way along a counter (NHS). Backward walking, 10 steps 2 or 3 times, and heel-to-toe walking, 5 to 10 steps, with a hand on the counter (our seniors workout). Step-ups, up to 5 each leg (NHS). Walks, building towards 150 minutes a week (NHS). Do the strength and balance work 3 or more times a week, harder over at least 12 weeks.
3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box
3D demoStanding marchBeginner · No equipment
3D demoSide-stepping (sideways walking)Beginner · A wall
3D demoBackward walkingBeginner · No equipment
3D demoTandem stance and heel-to-toe walkBeginner · A wall
3D demoLow step-upBeginner · A step
3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machineWorkouts to follow
The seniors' strength and balance session, three times a week, is the core; add the 10-minute balance routine on most other days. The strength and balance workout is a harder session for when those feel easy, the starter workout is for low-energy days, and the easy cardio workout builds your walking.
Strength and balance exercises for seniors
A 40-minute strength and balance session for over-65s, built from the Otago home programme and NHS exercises, using a chair, a counter and a step.
40 minBeginner18 movesA bench or box, Something with weight
Balance exercises routine
Balance practice in 10 minutes: tandem stance, single-leg stands, marches, heel walks, tree pose and floor transfers.
10 minBeginner7 movesA wall, A bench or box
Strength and balance workout
Strength and balance in one session: squats, Romanian deadlifts, push-ups, rows, step-ups, back extensions, carries and single-leg balance.
45 minBeginner14 movesA wall, A dumbbell
10-minute starter workout
A 10-minute session for low-energy days: marching, sit-to-stands, wall push-ups, step-ups and bridges, then a short walk. Doing a little counts.
10 minBeginner7 movesA bench or box, A wall
Easy cardio workout
A steady 30 to 45 minute cardio session at talk-but-not-sing pace: walk, cycle, row or cross-train, counting toward weekly activity guidelines.
40 minBeginner3 movesCardio machine, A wallWeekly plans
The seniors plan follows the falls-prevention programmes with the best evidence: strength and balance three times a week, balance practice on other days, and walks that build up.
3 days a week
Workout plan for seniors (65 and over)
A 12-week exercise plan for over-65s: strength and balance three times a week, short balance sessions and daily walks, based on falls-prevention trials.
3 training days40 minBeginner2 days a weekBeginner workout plan: your first 4 weeks
Your first four weeks: two, then three short strength sessions a week at home plus walks, building gently to a full routine.
2 training days20 minBeginnerWho it isn't for
Nobody should test alone
The CDC's instruction to testers is "Always stay by the patient for safety". Have someone walk beside you, ready to steady you.
Source 1
If you've fallen and were hurt, fallen twice or more, couldn't get up, or blacked out
NICE recommends a full falls assessment for people who have fallen in the past year and were injured, lost consciousness, couldn't get up on their own, have fallen twice or more, or are living with frailty. See your GP or a falls service first; in some areas you can refer yourself. The test can wait.
If you need someone's help to stand or walk
Testing at home isn't safe for you (our reading). A physiotherapist or falls service can test you instead.
Dizziness or fainting
The PAR-Q+ (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for Everyone) asks whether you've lost your balance because of dizziness, or lost consciousness, in the past 12 months. If you have, or you've fainted, see your GP before testing.
Parkinson's, a stroke or dementia
Test with your physiotherapist. The World Falls Guidelines recommend falls-prevention exercise in early to mid-stage Parkinson's and mild to moderate dementia, in smaller groups or one to one as needs grow. Our Parkinson's, stroke and dementia guides cover exercise.
Source 3
Under 20
The scorer has no averages to compare with under 20. Our guide to exercise for children and teenagers covers fitness at that age.
When to stop and get help
Stop the test
Stop at once for chest pain, dizziness or severe breathlessness, and don't restart the test that day (our suggestion, from the Otago booklet's stop signs). If you stumble or lose your balance, the person beside you steadies you and that try ends.
Stop and call 999
Call 999 (911 in the US) for any of these, and don't drive yourself to A&E:
- Chest pain, pressure or tightness that spreads to your arm, neck or jaw, or doesn't go away when you stop, especially with breathlessness, sweating, feeling sick, or grey or pale skin.
- Severe difficulty breathing: gasping, choking or not able to get words out, or lips or skin turning pale, blue or grey. On brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands.
- Signs of a stroke: the face drooping on one side, weakness in an arm, or speech problems. Call even if the signs stop.
- Fainting while you exercise, or collapse, or feeling very unwell with symptoms that don't go away when you stop.
- After a fall: a possible injury to the head, neck, back or hip, or not being able to get up.
Stop for today and contact your GP or NHS 111
Get advice soon for any of these:
- Dizziness, light-headedness, unusual breathlessness or chest tightness that settles when you stop.
- Being suddenly more short of breath than usual (NHS 111).
- Chest pain with feeling sick, or with a heart that feels like it's racing, going too slowly, skipping a beat or fluttering (NHS 111).
- After a fall, if you may be in pain, injured or unwell (NHS 111).
See your GP
Make an appointment if:
- You're worried about your balance or getting about, or you've had a fall: ask about a falls assessment. In some areas you can refer yourself to a falls service.
- Dizziness won't go away or keeps coming back.
- You've fainted at any time other than during exercise (fainting during exercise needs 999).
- Breathlessness gets worse during your normal activities or when you lie down, or comes with swollen ankles.
What's normal
Feeling your muscles working, or slight soreness the next day, is normal.
Source 24
Myths
"12 seconds or more means I'll fall"Strong evidence
In pooled studies, a slow time moved the chance of a fall from 51% to 56%, or from 30% to 47%. It's a reason for a fuller check, not a forecast.
"Under 12 seconds means I'm safe"Strong evidence
Most people who went on to fall had done the test in 13.5 seconds or less, and in one review a time under 12 seconds still left a 25% chance of a fall.
"Go as fast as you can"Strong evidence
The CDC's test and its 12-second mark use your normal pace. Some studies asked people to hurry instead, so a fast-pace time doesn't compare with these numbers.
"Using my stick spoils the test"Strong evidence
Walking aids are allowed. Use the same one each time you test.
"If my time's fine, I don't need a falls check after a fall"Strong evidence
NICE asks for a gait and balance assessment, or a full falls assessment, for anyone who has fallen in the past year, whatever a single test shows.
Source 19
Read next
- All fitness tests
- 30-second chair stand test
- Single-leg balance test
- 6-minute walk test
- Sitting-rising test
- Grip strength test
- Push-up test
- Sit-and-reach test
- Exercise for older adults
- Workout plan for seniors
- Balance exercises
- Exercise for Parkinson's
- Exercises after a stroke
- Exercise and dementia
- Hip arthritis
- Knee arthritis
Questions people ask
How do you do the timed up and go test?
Sit back in an armchair with a line marked 3 metres (10 feet) away. On "Go", stand up, walk to the line at your normal pace, turn, walk back and sit down; the time runs from "Go" until you're sitting. Wear your usual shoes, use your usual walking aid, and have someone walk beside you.
What is a normal timed up and go time?
Across 21 studies, healthy adults averaged 8.1 seconds in their 60s, 9.2 in their 70s and 11.3 from 80. In one clinic, adults aged 20 to 59 averaged 8.6 to 9.9 seconds. Enter your time to see how it compares with your age group.
What does 12 seconds or more mean?
The CDC uses 12 seconds as the point at which an older adult "is at risk for falling" and should have a fuller check. It isn't a diagnosis, and many people who take longer than 12 seconds don't fall.
How accurate is the TUG at predicting falls?
Not very, on its own. In studies where about half the people fell, a slow time raised the chance only from 51% to 56%, and most people who fell had quicker times. NICE says tests like it help to spot problems but don't predict a person's risk.
Should I walk fast?
No: walk at your normal, comfortable pace. The CDC's 12-second mark is for your normal pace, and the scorer flags a fast-pace time as not comparable.
Can I use a stick or frame?
Yes. Use the one you normally use, and the same one each time you test.
Can I do the test on my own?
No: the CDC says someone should always stay beside the person being tested. If you've fallen in the past year and were hurt, fallen twice or more, couldn't get up after a fall, or blacked out, see your GP or a falls service first.
How much does my time need to change to matter?
A change of about 2 seconds between tests is more than everyday variation. In hip osteoarthritis, 0.8 to 1.4 seconds quicker was a major improvement.
How do I get quicker?
Combine leg strength (sit-to-stands, step-ups), balance (heel-to-toe walking, side-stepping) and walking, 3 or more times a week for at least 12 weeks. In one trial, strength and balance training improved women's TUG times and cut their falls.
What is the get up and go test?
It's the original, untimed version from 1986, in which a clinician watches you stand up, walk, turn and sit down. The timed up and go added a stopwatch in 1991, and the World Falls Guidelines say the untimed test gives similar information about how you move.
Sources
- CDC · STEADI assessment: the Timed Up and Go (2017)
- Podsiadlo 1991 · The timed "Up & Go": a test of basic functional mobility in 60 frail older people (study, J Am Geriatr Soc)
- Montero-Odasso 2022 · World guidelines for falls prevention and management for older adults (Age and Ageing)
- Barry 2014 · Is the timed up and go a useful predictor of falls? 10 cohorts of community-living older adults (systematic review and meta-analysis, BMC Geriatr)
- NICE 2025 · Falls (NG249): rationale and impact
- Bohannon 2006 · Reference values for the timed up and go from 21 studies of healthy older adults (descriptive meta-analysis, J Geriatr Phys Ther)
- Kear 2017 · Timed up and go reference values for ages 20 to 59 in 200 primary care patients (study, J Prim Care Community Health)
- Sherrington 2019 · Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community: 108 trials (Cochrane review)
- Steffen 2002 · The 6-minute walk, Berg balance scale, timed up and go and walking speed by age and sex in 96 community-living older people (study, Phys Ther)
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab · Rehabilitation Measures Database: timed up and go, summarising Podsiadlo 1991 and reprinting Steffen 2002 (2013)
- Shumway-Cook 2000 · Predicting falls with the timed up and go in 15 older people who had fallen and 15 who hadn't (study, Phys Ther)
- Kristensen 2019 · Inter-rater reliability of the standardised timed up and go in 30 older people (study, Physiother Res Int)
- Dias 2024 · The timed up and go and 30-second chair stand by video call in 50 older adults (reliability study, J Bodyw Mov Ther)
- Wright 2011 · Major clinically important improvement in four performance tests in 65 people with hip osteoarthritis (study, JOSPT)
- Lusardi 2017 · Determining the risk of falls in community-living older adults with post-test probability (systematic review and meta-analysis, J Geriatr Phys Ther)
- Schoene 2013 · How well the timed up and go picks out older people who fall: 53 studies (systematic review and meta-analysis, J Am Geriatr Soc)
- Beauchet 2011 · The timed up and go and the risk of falls in older adults: 11 studies (systematic review, J Nutr Health Aging)
- Teixeira 2010 · Thigh strength and balance training to prevent falls in 100 women with osteoporosis (RCT, Osteoporos Int)
- NICE 2025 · Falls: assessment and prevention in older people and in people 50 and over at higher risk (NG249), recommendations
- NHS · Falls
- PAR-Q+ Collaboration 2025 · The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for Everyone (PAR-Q+)
- NHS · Dizziness
- NHS · Fainting
- Later Life Training 2018 · Otago strength and balance home exercise programme: beginners (booklet)
- NHS · Heart attack
- NHS · Chest pain
- NHS · Shortness of breath
- NHS · Stroke: symptoms
Fitness tests for adults compared with published norms, not a diagnosis, and clinical review of these pages is pending. Check with a GP before a hard test if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and have someone with you for the balance, walking and floor tests if you've fallen or feel unsteady. Health disclaimer.