When looking to gauge your progress with an at-home fitness test, you can rely on some of the standard exercises from these presidential fitness tests in physical education class, such as push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups.
But do you know how easily you can get up from a seated position on the floor? The answer to this question can actually tell you a lot about your overall health and fitness, so it’s worth trying the sit-stand test.
Here’s what you need to know and how to improve your ability to stand.
What is the “sit-stand” test?
The sit-to-stand test – aka the “sit-to-stand test” or “sit-to-stand test” (SRT) – assesses your ability to rise from a seated position on the floor without using your hands, forearms, elbows, knees, or other points of contact for assistance.
“The sit-stand test assesses much of what makes us physically healthy: muscle strength, mobility, proprioception, balance, and coordination,” says exercise physiologist Pete McCall, CSCS, author of Smarter workouts.
When it comes to strength, adds McCall, the sit-to-stand test is especially good at assessing the glutes, hamstrings, and inner and outer thigh muscles.
How to do the sit-stand test
There is no time limit for the sit-stand test. The goal is to simply sit on the floor and get back up with as little additional support as possible. Here’s how:
- Start in a standing position.
- Sit on the floor, criss-cross the applesauce (i.e. cross-legged). Try to avoid using your hands for support when lowering yourself.
- Straighten up – again, without using your hands or knees for support, if possible.
The seated and standing phases of the exercise are scored separately on a scale of 0 to 5. For each phase, start with a perfect score of 5. Subtract one point for each time you used a hand, forearm, knee, or side of your leg to brace, support, or give yourself a little push . Several attempts can be made.
Add the best score for each phase to get a total score out of 10.
What is a good sit-stand score?
Ideally, your score should be between 8 and 10 points. (Memorize your score to see how you improve over time!)
If you’ve had a little trouble, don’t panic. Even the strongest athletes can struggle with this task unless they’re doing dedicated mobility work, McCall says.
Does the sit-stand test determine longevity?
Research suggests that there may be a correlation between sit-and-stand test scores and longevity.
In a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, more than 2,000 adults over the age of 50 took a sit-and-stand test. The researchers found that lower SRT scores were correlated with higher death rates (from all causes). Higher SRT scores were associated with longer survival rates.
The sit-to-stand test can also help assess other fitness markers. Researchers in the same study noted that better scores on the sit-and-stand test correlated with muscle strength and flexibility. And one different study found that flexibility played a role in performance during a sit-stand test.
3 Ways to Improve Your Sit-Stand Score
Going up and down off the floor isn’t just a way to test your fitness, it’s also a great way to build strength and mobility. Try to incorporate these exercises into your routine.
1. Preparation of the prisoner (surrender exercise)
- Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart and your hands behind your head. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your core engaged, chest up and back flat, push your hips back and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Step one foot behind you to rest your knee on the floor, then do the same with your other foot, so that you are now in a high kneeling position with your knees directly below your hips.
- Pause, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
- Repeat, alternating which leg you step back on first each time.
2. Turkish outfit
- Lie on your back with your legs extended on the floor and your arms at your sides. Bend your right leg to place your foot flat on the floor. Extend your left arm on the floor away from your body, palm down. Extend your right arm straight toward the ceiling. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your right arm straight and your eyes fixed on your right hand, engage your core and roll over your left forearm.
- Push into your left hand while straightening your left arm to come into a seated position.
- Keeping your left leg straight, push through your right heel and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips off the floor. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your left heel.
- Sweep your left leg under and behind you to place your left foot on the floor and rise to a half-kneeling position.
- Push off your back foot to get into a standing position.
- Reverse the movement to return to the starting position. Perform equal repetitions on each side.
3. Dressing the shin box
- Sit on the floor with your torso upright, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor (about hip-width apart). This is the starting position.
- Rotate your body to the right, letting your right outer thigh and left inner thigh drop toward the floor. Align your chest towards your right knee.
- Push into the floor with both knees and drive your hips up to the high kneeling position.
- Swing your back foot forward and up into a half-kneeling position, then stand up, stepping your right foot forward to bring it beside your left foot.
- Return to the starting position and repeat, this time twisting to your left.
