We all have different gauges to tell how healthy we are. We once wrote about how the ability to stand on one leg can be an important health test. Standing can tell doctors a lot.
Another seemingly simple but actually complex test of how well a person is aging is the sit-to-stand, or chair-rise, test. The test measures strength, mobility and power. It tests how quickly a person can stand up from sitting.
“Getting up from a chair may seem like a very simple task, but it actually requires several systems to work together,” said Joseph Hribick, a clinical assistant professor of physical therapy at Lebanon Valley College. “You need adequate strength and power in the muscles of your hips and legs, good balance, coordination, joint mobility and enough cardiovascular capacity to repeat this movement several times. Because of that, a chair-rise test can give us a quick snapshot of a person’s overall functional mobility.”
The test challenges people’s ability to move their body weight while coordinating their hips, knees, ankles, trunk and balance system. And it’s a practical test as it shows how well a person can move up stairs, reveal a risk of a fall and other problems.
“Research involving more than 11,000 older adults has shown that insufficient sit-to-stand muscle power is associated with mobility limitations and disability with activities of daily living,” said Prof. Hribick. “In addition, sit-to-stand power has also been associated with physical independence later in life.”
To do the sit-to-stand test at home, place a sturdy chair against a wall and sit with your feet flat on the floor. Cross your arms over your chest and stand up, extending your hips and knees. Then sit down without using your arms for assistance. Repeat the process as many times as you can in 30 seconds. A 60-year-old man should be able to do it 14 times; a woman should be able to do it 12.
If you can’t do it, don’t panic! It means you should be aware that you may be at a greater risk of a fall. But you can do exercises to get better at it. A higher chair or support from an assistant can help you make progress. Strength is something you can train for as you age! As you get stronger and better at it, you can make it more challenging by lowering your seat, sitting and standing more times, or holding weights as you do it.
More than one in four adults 65 and older fall every year in the U.S. Falls are the leading cause of injury and injury-related death in older people. So lowering your risk of a fall as you age is essential for healthy aging.
