Sit-to-stands are one of the best workouts you can do to boost lower-body strength.
Do you have difficulty getting up off the floor after playing with the grandkids? If so, one of the best workouts you can do to build lower-body strength is an old-fashioned chair squat, also known as sit-to-stands.
This exercise forces your body to lift its own weight repeatedly against gravity, which helps to boost mobility and build stamina. The movement imitates daily actions like walking and standing, so it’s an excellent way to preserve your mobility. You’re working the same lower-body muscle groups you need to do these daily actions, which include the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps.
This workout is quite telling of how fit your lower body is. In fact, we have a goal for you to work toward: If you can do this many sit-to-stands after 60, your lower-body endurance is considered elite.
What Makes This Exercise So Beneficial
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According to Steven Pungello, Sports Rehab Chiropractor at Full Stride Spine & Sport, who specializes in treating runners and other sports injuries, the sit-to-stand is essential for those over 60 because transitioning between sitting and standing is where falls commonly occur.
“Training this movement pattern can prevent a fall/ fracture down the road,” Pungello tells us. “This exercise is similar to the squat in that it trains the glutes, quads, and core muscles. This can be a great introduction to squats if people have been sedentary for a while.”
Why Lower-Body Endurance Matters More With Age
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Lower-body endurance is crucial to staying on top of things as you age, so you can continue to move and exercise.
“Keeping up with that opens the door to doing more activities and exercises. If you fatigue out too early, then you will be extremely limited on activities you enjoy AND the rehab you need to do to get them back,” Pungello says.
How To Do Sit-To-Stands
- Begin seated at the front of a sturdy chair, feet under your knees.
- Lean forward just a bit.
- Try to stand up without using your knees, hands, or additional support.
- Use control to slowly sit back down.
This Sit-to-Stand Test Reveals Elite Endurance After 60
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Being able to perform 20 sit-to-stands more than 30 seconds would be considered “elite” status for those over 60. That said, performing less than that shouldn’t make you feel discouraged, Pungello says. Even completing 12 to 15 with solid form can help reduce fall risk.
“In addition to the number of reps, we can also assess how people get up,” Pungello adds. “It is typical to use your hands to push off your thighs or arm rests to get up. We also want to use this exercise to break that habit and to use your legs to get up instead.”
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist based in Greenwich, CT. She has 11+ years of experience covering wellness, fitness, food, travel, lifestyle, and home. Read more about Alexa
