What the sit-to-rise test says about you
Getting down to the floor and back up takes strength, balance and flexibility at once. Low scores predict a shorter life.
Sit on the floor and stand back up, using as little support as you can. You start with 10 points, 5 for sitting down and 5 for standing up. You lose 1 point each time a hand, forearm, knee or the side of your leg helps you, and half a point for each wobble.
The first study of the test followed 2,002 adults aged 51 to 80 for about 6 years. People who scored 0 to 3 were five times as likely to die as people who scored 8 to 10, after accounting for age, sex and BMI. Each extra point was linked to 21% better survival.
A larger study from the same team followed 4,282 adults aged 46 to 75 for about 12 years. 42% of people who scored 0 to 4 died, compared with under 4% of people who scored a perfect 10. After adjusting for age, sex, BMI and health conditions, the lowest scorers were nearly four times as likely to die of natural causes.
Both studies come from one exercise clinic in Rio de Janeiro, and about two thirds of the people were men. No one has tested whether raising your score lowers your risk. Practicing the movement, along with squats and hip mobility work, will make the test easier. Whether that adds years is unknown, but the strength and balance it builds help either way.
Ageon compares your score with reference scores from the same clinic for people your age and sex. Retest every month to see the change.
Sources
- Ability to sit and rise from the floor as a predictor of all-cause mortality. Brito et al., European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 2014.
- Sitting-rising test scores predict natural and cardiovascular causes of deaths in middle-aged and older men and women. Araújo et al., European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 2026.