Okay, but…why? The test measures a few different things that are linked to better health and longevity, study co-author Jonathan Myers, PhD, a clinical professor at Stanford University and a health research scientist at the Palo Alto VA Health Care System, tells SELF. “When we think of ‘fitness,’ people usually think of ‘aerobic’ or cardiorespiratory fitness,” he says. “Over the last three decades or so, cardiorespiratory fitness has become recognized as a powerful predictor of health outcomes—in many studies, it is even more powerful than the traditional risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, or [high cholesterol].”
Cardiorespiratory fitness is important, sure—it’s considered a strong indicator of overall health, along with being linked to a lower risk of developing certain diseases. But fitness is more broad than that, and includes things like strength and balance, Dr. Myers says. Strength has been shown to help with daily living (think: being able to carry your own groceries), while balance helps to protect against falls, Dr. Araújo explains. These skills are important for longevity, and they’re something that Hannah Koch, PT, DPT, physical therapist at Michigan State University Health Care, tells SELF she checks with older patients, along with their range of motion.
The sitting-rising test looks at strength, power, and balance, all in one move. So basically, you’re getting more bang for your buck, looking at all of these factors at once.
Added bonus: It can also give some insight on your cardiovascular health, Jennifer Wong, MD, cardiologist and medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, tells SELF. “One could not do this after certain types of strokes or if too weak from poor overall health,” she adds.
While the test is predictive, it’s by no means perfect: There are some flaws with it. “The test does not identify the underlying cause of poor performance,” Anna A. Manns, PT, DPT, lead physical therapist at University Hospital in New Jersey, tells SELF. Meaning, it can’t tell if you struggle with getting up due to joint pain, an injury, or the fact that you went hard at the gym yesterday—and those factors don’t necessarily have an impact on your longevity.
It’s also possible to game the test, say, by “compensating with upper-body movement or momentum by using arm swings or trunk movement to ‘cheat’ the test,” Dr. Mann says, which would “mask true lower-limb weakness.” The test also only looks at lower-body function and core strength, so it doesn’t gauge your overall fitness, upper-body strength or endurance, “all of which are important for full functional capacity,” she adds.
The sitting-rising test isn’t the only option to help gauge longevity either.
While the sitting-rising test has a link with longevity, there are plenty of others that healthcare providers use regularly. Simple hand-grip tests, which measure grip strength, are a “powerful predictor of mortality,” Dr. Myers says. Case in point: A 2015 study published in The Lancet found that grip strength was better at predicting someone’s odds of dying from heart disease or other causes during the follow-up than systolic blood pressure, which is usually used to gauge cardiovascular health. Balance tests, like the ability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds or longer, can also be helpful, Dr. Myers says.
