Timed Up and Go (TUG) test
A simple clinical test that times how quickly a person stands up, walks a short distance, turns and sits back down.
The Timed Up and Go test is one of the most widely used clinical measures of functional mobility and balance. A person starts seated in a chair, stands up, walks a short set distance, turns around, walks back and sits down again while an assessor times the whole sequence.
It matters because the everyday movements it strings together — rising, walking, turning — are exactly the ones where poor balance shows up in real life. A slower time generally reflects worse mobility and balance, and the test is sensitive enough to detect improvement after training or rehabilitation.
Researchers and clinicians favour it because it needs no special equipment, takes under a minute, and produces a single number that can be compared before and after an intervention. It is often used alongside other balance measures, such as the Berg Balance Scale and one-leg stance time, to build a fuller picture of how steadily a person moves.
Written and reviewed by Mathew Beale, MSc Biotechnology, University of Reading.
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