What does it mean to be healthy? Lab work results, body mass index and even the ability to run a mile can offer insight, but with so many measures of well-being, getting a definite answer is complicated.
There are no guarantees — and no one is immune to aging — but many experts agree that one exercise in particular is an excellent indicator of health and longevity. And you can do it from home.
The exercise is called chair squats or chair rises, with a 30-second evaluation known as the sit-to-stand chair test that measures strength, mobility and power. Like its name implies, this move is all about how quickly you can stand up from sitting down. It’s one that Joseph Hribick, a clinical assistant professor of physical therapy at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania, uses “very often” with his patients.
“Getting up from a chair may seem like a very simple task, but it actually requires several systems to work together,” Hribick told HuffPost. “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,” he added.
The sit-to-stand chair test is an indicator of longevity.
The sit-to-stand chair test is useful because of how much it reveals about a person’s health. “It is simple to perform, functional, inexpensive, and has a lot of research behind it,” Hribick said.
This exercise requires a person “to move their own body weight through space and coordinate the motion of their hips, knees, ankles, trunk and balance system,” Hribick said.
And since standing is something we have to do repeatedly every day, this practical exercise has real-world relevance.
“Chair squats keep the hips, knees and ankles moving through ranges we use every day for walking, stairs and getting up and down,” Hazel Anderson, an associate professor at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, told HuffPost.
“The chair stand isn’t a crystal ball for longevity, but it is a simple window into our functional reserve, alongside things like walking speed, balance and grip strength,” Anderson continued. “The goal isn’t a perfect score; it’s maintaining the strength and movement we need to keep doing the things we love.”
Mobility and power decline with age.
The secret to a long and healthy life is maintaining self-sufficiency, and chair squats can help.
“As we age, we lose about 3 to 5% of muscle mass per year after the age of 40, unless you do something to counteract that,” Dr. Jennifer Timmons, a physician specializing in longevity and founder and medical director of Timmons Wellness, told HuffPost.
“And this loss of muscle mass leads to a cascade of other problems, including decreased mobility, greater fall risk, and ultimately loss of independence,” Timmons said. “Doing the chair rise test gives us a quick snapshot of overall function and capacity.”
Muscle power — “our ability to generate force quickly” — also declines with age and can affect daily activities like getting up from a chair, climbing stairs, keeping your balance if you trip and more, according to Hribick.
“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,” he said. “In addition, sit-to-stand power has also been associated with physical independence later in life.”
Doing exercises that strengthen these muscles is important to continue living an independent life.
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“The chair stand isn’t a crystal ball for longevity, but it is a simple window into our functional reserve,” said one healthy aging expert.
This exercise is also linked to cognitive performance.
Older adults who passed the chair-rise test also showed strong cognitive abilities, another important factor for longevity.
“Standing up quickly requires motor planning, coordination, attention, and rapid integration of sensory information,” Hribick explained.
“Those who stay physically active and maintain better neuromuscular function often maintain better health in several other areas, including cognitive health,” he added.
Here’s how to do the sit-to-stand chair test.
Place a sturdy chair against a wall, then sit down with your feet flat on the ground in front of you and your arms crossed over your chest. Stand up, extending your hips and knees, then sit back down without using your arms to help.
The movement should be controlled enough that the moment you touch the seat, you can immediately stand up again.
Each time you sit is considered one rep. Repeat to see how many sit-to-stands you can do in 30 seconds. According to the Centers for Disease Control, a man at age 60 should be able to do at least 14 reps, and a woman should complete at least 12.
If you can’t finish the minimum number of reps in the time frame for your age and sex, then additional fall risk assessments may be necessary.
For the exercise version of chair squats (not the test), it’s OK to use your hands, a higher chair or help from a support person nearby. “You can gradually work toward using less assistance as you get stronger,” Anderson said.
You also don’t have to time yourself and can just do about eight to 12 reps, one to three times.
“The goal with everyday training isn’t to race the clock,” she added. “I’d much rather see safe, controlled and appropriately challenging repetitions, with good control both standing up and sitting back down.”
If you want to make the exercise version more challenging, Hribick recommended rising from a lower surface, increasing the number of reps, or adding some resistance by holding a weight or wearing a weighted vest.
What if you fail the sit-to-stand test?
If you aren’t able to meet the minimum recommendations, it doesn’t mean you are beyond help. “Strength and power remain trainable well into older adulthood,” Hribick said.
However, if you find yourself struggling to stand up — for example, needing to push off armrests or rock before standing — talk to your healthcare professional. This could be an early sign of declining lower-extremity function, according to Hribick, especially if you also are experiencing falls, dizziness, pain, weakness or difficulty walking.
Practicing chair squats can help strengthen your body and make everyday life easier. Keep in mind, the goal isn’t to pass the sit-to-stand test and then quit; rather, it’s to incorporate chair squats into your full-body workout routine.
“I would think of the chair stand test as a benchmark, not an endpoint,” Timmons explained. “The takeaway here is: Don’t train simply to pass the chair stand test. Train so that being able to stand up from a chair or a toilet remains effortless, so that you can maintain independence as you age.”