Simple Test to Show How You’re Aging

The sit-to-stand test (STS) is an easy one.  Anyone can try it and it only takes 30 seconds to measure how many times you can rise from a seated position in a chair to a standing position in 30 seconds.

While it may seem overly simple or even trivial, this test has significant health implications.

Jugdeep Dhesi, MD,  a consultant geriatrician at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London and professor of geriatric medicine at Kings College, told the BBC that "it's a really helpful test, because it tells us so much about how well people are functioning.”

Dr. Dhesi explained that the oh so simple test anyone can do at home tells doctors lots of information about the patient’s strength, balance, and flexibility. Some studies indicate that the test can inform doctors about risk for falls, cardiovascular issues, or even death.

Performing the test requires sitting in the middle of a straight-backed chair with no arm rests with a timer. While keeping both hands on the opposite shoulder, try to rise to a full standing position before sitting and repeating the process as many times as possible for 30 seconds, while keeping count.

This test is primarily used for adults over 60.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has published the average results for different age groups. Scoring below the average could indicate poor health.

The average score for men aged 60-64 is 14, while for women of that age it’s 12. The average continues to decrease as age increases.

However, the test is not a perfect measuring stick to determining one’s health, as it does not account for an individual’s medical history, which could include recent injuries that might affect results.

For younger people, the test can also prove beneficial, as it measures fitness, lower body muscular strength and endurance. Even with a younger demographic, poor scores can identify people who are at greater risk for worse outcomes after surgery or cancer treatment, or that the person’s heart and lungs may not be properly functioning.

The CDC says a below average score suggests someone may be at a greater risk of suffering falls.

Roughly 30% of individuals above 65 experience at least one fall a year. That number rises to 50% of people above 80.

After having one fall, older adults tend to become fearful of falling again, leading them to stay inside their homes more often, which can cause social isolation.

Falls can lead to serious injuries, such as hip fractures. Over 300,000 people experience hip fractures every year in the United States. Dr. Dhesi remarked that there are about 70,000 hip fractures annually in the United Kingdom, and about 30% of people die within a year of suffering one.

The British medical researchers and his team strongly believe in the test’s usefulness, explaining that “doing these kinds of tests at home helps you to see where you are in relation to other people of your age and so it can be a really useful prompt to remind you to do all the things that you can do to get better and stay better.”

However, while the Sit-Stand test may be a good indicator of health, he admits it cannot predict how long a person will live. His recommendation, try to stay as dynamic, active and mobile as possible to keep one’s score up.

For those for whom mobility is already difficult, he suggests doing seated exercises to build strength, and to then try standing five times every 1-2 hours.

For older adults in single-story homes, Dhesi emphasizes that it is vital to keep active to maintain leg muscles necessary for balance and independence.

He also encourages seniors to seek out exercise classes, as many gyms offer programs specifically for older adults and at low cost, further remarking that "the added benefit there is the social contact on top of the physical contact. And we know that that's a really important aspect of as you get older – loneliness and social isolation can really be detrimental for your health."