Up and Go: a 12-second test for two people

Time it

Tap again the moment they sit back down. The helper stays beside the walker the whole time.

How to set it up

1. Put a chair with arms against a wall so it cannot slide.
2. Mark a line on the floor 10 feet (3 meters) away. About four big steps.
3. They wear their usual shoes. A cane or walker is fine if they use one.
4. They sit all the way back in the chair.

Read this to them: “When I say Go, stand up, walk to the line at your normal pace, turn, walk back, and sit down again.”

These are CDC’s own steps: CDC STEADI, Timed Up & Go (TUG). CDC: “Always stay by the patient for safety.”

Three questions to ask first

CDC asks these three. A yes to any one means they may be at risk of falling (CDC STEADI Algorithm).

What to do next

• Show the time, the answers and the ticks to their doctor or nurse. CDC’s plan for a person at risk includes a medicine review, an eye and foot check, and exercise for strength and balance (CDC STEADI Algorithm).
• Do the CDC 12-question checklist together, and the home safety walk-through.
• Add a sit-to-stand count and the balance stances: five-minute check (healthgait.com).
• Practice getting up safely and the CDC chair-rise exercise: daily moves (healthgait.com).

This is a screening sign, not a diagnosis. The time and answers stay on this phone and are gone when you close the page. Use the same chair and line each time so the numbers compare.