The Timed Up and Go test or TUG test, is a widely-researched outcome measure that assesses
multiple components of an individual’s functional mobility and aids in determining fall risk.
It also enables a clinician to observe a patient’s ability to stand up, sit down, walk, and turn
all in one quick and easy test.
This video is going to show you how to perform the timed up and go test and then discuss
how a patient’s performance can be used in the clinical setting.
Let’s dive in!
To get started, we only need a few things: (1) a standard chair with arms, with a seat
height of about 18 inches, (2) a small marker such as a piece of tape, (3) a measuring tape,
and (4) a stopwatch.
I typically use the stopwatch on my phone for this.
First, measure a 3-meter, or about 10-foot walkway with the measuring tape.
On one end, place the chair facing down the walkway with the front legs as the start point
of the 3 meter distance.
On the other end, place a piece of tape to serve as a marker.
Have the patient sit in the chair with their back against the back of the chair in preparation
for the test.
Assistive devices can be used for the TUG, but they should be kept consistent and documented
from test to test.
Patients are allowed to use their hands on the chair as needed.
If the patient requires physical assistance from an individual to walk or stand, this
test should not be performed.
To begin the test, instruct the patient by saying, “When I say ‘go’, stand up and
walk to the marker in front of you.
Turn around when you get to that marker and return to your chair and sit.
Make sure that you walk quickly, but safely.”
To assist in understanding, we recommend demonstrating the test.
The patient may also have one practice trial prior to the formal test.
This is a good chance to ensure the patient understands where to turn and that the test
ends upon sitting back down in the chair.
To measure the patient, record the time that it takes for them to complete the entire activity.
Start the stopwatch upon saying, “go” and stop the stopwatch once the patient’s
bottom contacts the chair.
So you have your patient’s performance time, now what?
The resulting time, expressed in seconds, can be used for calculation of fall risk,
particularly when used with other tools such as the Berg Balance Scale.
It also serves the clinician by providing documentation of a patient’s progress in
rehabilitation.
The most used statistic for the TUG is the cut-off time for fall risk for community dwelling
adults.
For this population, if the patient takes longer than 13.5 seconds to perform the TUG
test, then they are at an increased risk for falls.
There are similar cut-off times for several other populations which can be found in our
TUG toolkit, available for free at the link in the description below.
In addition to the performance time, we highly recommend using the Timed Up and Go as a method
to assess a patient’s ability to perform several tasks, including the sit to stand
transfer, initiation of gait, walking, and turning.
Each of these elements could be documented as to how they are performed and with what
difficulty.
So, in less than a minute, you have gained a lot of information and a great insight into
your patient’s functional mobility as well as an objective measurement to use for setting
goals and patient education.
Thank you for watching this video, and we hope you can bring the Timed Up and Go test
into your clinic.
If you liked this video, you’ll want to check out our video on Timed Up and Go test
variations, where we cover 2 variations on the TUG that allow you to gain more objective
data about your patient.
If you want to learn more about the TUG, and its variations, including a summary of current
clinical metrics and published data, Mission Gait has a free ‘Timed Up and Go Test Toolkit’
available for download on missiongait.org under the education tab.
You can also find the link in the description below.
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