Slide 6 of 15
Notes:
The timed get up and go test is a measurement of mobility. It includes a number of tasks such as standing from a seating position, walking, turning, stopping, and sitting down which are all important tasks needed for a person to be independently mobile.
For the test, the person is asked to stand up from a standard chair and walk a distance of approximately 10 feet (measure as 3 meters), turn around and walk back to the chair and sit down again. The individual uses his/her usual footwear and can use any assistive walking device they normally use, such as a cane. The person is seated with his/her back to the chair, their arms resting on the arm rests, and any walking aid they may use should be in hand. Timing, using either a wristwatch with a second hand or a stop watch, begins when the individual starts to rise from the chair and ends when he/she is once again seated in the chair.
The normal time required to finish the test is between 7 – 10 seconds. Individuals who cannot complete the task in that time, probably have some mobility problems, especially if they take more than 20 seconds.
This information should be documented as a baseline and repeated if any change in mobility occurs or at least yearly.
