NewzStanding up from a seated position on the floor. These physical challenges are often touted as measurements of healthy aging and even predictors of longevity. They can provide valuable indications of your stamina and strength.
They can estimate the risk of falls, which increase older adults ‘ risk of death. And they’re useful to doctors who work to address aging or people with injuries. “A poor or declining result is a reason for a health professional to investigate why function is changing, rather than gauging how long someone will live,” said Auriel Willette, an expert on brain aging at Rutgers University.
Here’s a look at what mobility tests entail and how to apply the results to your health. A sit-to-stand test goes viral, but what does it really show? “Sit-to-stand” tests come in several forms.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 30-second chair-stand test is designed for patients older than 60, to see how many times they can stand up in that time period. Another test, popularized on social media, asks someone to move from standing, to sitting cross-legged on the ground, and then back up to standing. Making your way down to the floor is worth 5 points, as is standing up, for a total score of 10.
You lose a point for each support you use (such as a hand or knee) and half a point if you’re unsteady. The score is zero if you’re unable to sit or stand without external help. Doctors said they haven’t seen the test used with older U.S.
adults, but researchers in Brazil published studies in 2020 and 2025 that concluded middle-aged people who scored higher were less likely to die within about a decade. Many American doctors use a test called “Timed Up and Go,” or TUG. It requires the patient to get up from a chair, walk 10 feet (3 meters) and come back to their seat.
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