Yoga Spy

Have you heard of the “Chair Stand Test”? In 30 seconds, you stand from sitting as many times as possible. I discovered it last fall while preparing for a workshop on squat actions. It was developed to test senior fitness, but struck me as applicable to all ages.

So I included the Chair Stand Test—also called the Sit to Stand Test—in my workshop. It targeted glutes and other key muscles for strong squats. It was clear and quantifiable. It was efficient (30 seconds!). Workshop participants were receptive, even eager, to try test themselves.

Then I forgot about it until spring, during a trip to my hometown. A few days into my visit, I decided to introduce it to my mom and dad. Like the wall stand, which I forced on them last fall, Sit to Stand is short and sweet. It fit into my parents’ existing schedules, not to mention my own vacation R&R.

We typically did it in the morning, before breakfast. For me, morning is the best time to add a new routine. Later in the day, I forget, get too busy, or feel too tired. I was happy that my parents were game to do this 30-second exercise with me. In fact, we’d do it twice: first as a trio and then individually (so that I could observe their form).

When I returned to Vancouver, I chose the Chair Stand Test as my “theme pose” for spring—and taught it in every class throughout April, May, and June. Meanwhile, Sit to Stand insinuated itself into my own daily routine. Let’s discuss.

How to Do It

First, I’ll describe the standard protocol:

• Use chair 17in /44cm high, without arm rests.
• Place against wall or on non-slip surface.
• Sit halfway on seat (not against back rest), feet hip-width apart.
• Place arms over chest, wrists crossed.
• From sitting, stand upright and sit back down as many times as possible in 30 seconds.
• Note: Standing completely up and sitting completely down counts as one stand. But, if you’re standing when time is called, that counts in your total.

I added my own rules:

• Taller students can elevate chair seat—with stable props, e.g., folded mat and flat block. A folding metal yoga chair is 17in high. But using same chair size for shorter versus taller students made no sense to me. Taller students would need to squat much lower to reach seat. I’m surprised that official guidelines don’t consider disparity in body height.
• Place feet closer to chair than knees. This set-up promotes glute activation and reduce knee burden.

Ideal Counts for Seniors

Below I’ve listed ideal ranges for seniors. Lower counts are associated with frailty, risk of falling, and other physical limitations.

These numbers might seem low to you, or they might seem high. Either way, remember that factors beyond fitness are involved. Having observed dozens of students sitting and standing, I’ve seen that people differ in form, technique, objective. Some people sit down and stand up completely, while others cut corners. Some people “burst” up with power, while others are more deliberate and controlled. Some people are clearly trying to race the clock, while others seem to be pacing themselves.

Therefore, comparing your count with another person’s might not make sense. Rather, determine your baseline today—and try to maintain it going forth.

Men

Age range	Below average	Average	Above average
60-64	< 14	14 to 19	> 19
65-69	< 12	12 to 18	> 18
70-74	< 12	12 to 17	> 17
75-79	< 11	11 to 17	> 17
80-84	< 10	10 to 15	> 15
85-89	< 8	8 to 14	> 14
90-94	< 7	7 to 12	> 12

Women

Age range	Below average	Average	Above average
60-64	< 12	12 to 17	> 17
65-69	< 11	11 to 16	> 16
70-74	< 10	10 to 15	> 15
75-79	< 10	10 to 15	> 15
80-84	< 9	9 to 14	> 14
85-89	< 8	8 to 13	> 13
90-94	< 4	4 to 11	> 11

What about Young and Middle-Aged Adults?

I found a 2022 study in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy that applied the 30-second Chair Stand Test to young adults aged 19-35 years old. In the study, which didn’t separate males and females, the average was 33 stands.

That motivated me to ramp up my rate to reach 33 (even if I’m not a young adult anymore). Now that’s my daily target! Fast movement builds muscular power, in addition to strength and stamina.

Backstory to the Chair Stand Test

Around 2001, Roberta Rikli and Jessie Jones developed the Senior Fitness Test at the California State University, Fullerton. The program includes six tests that assess seniors’ functional fitness using simple equipment.

What is “functional fitness”? The tests assess upper and lower body strength and flexibility, speed, agility, and aerobic fitness. They’re intended to reflect everyday abilities: walking, climbing stairs, lifting and carrying objects, bending down, getting into and out of cars.

Out of curiosity, I skimmed the six tests. This blog post focuses only on the Chair Stand Test, but I’ll summarize the other five:

• Arm Curl Test Fast bicep curls with dumbbell (5lb for women, 8lb for men). How many can you do in 30 seconds? I found this test quite an arm workout!
• Back Scratch Test Visualize Gomukhasana arms. If your fingers don’t touch, your score decreases by their distance apart; if your fingers overlap, your score increases by that amount.
• Chair Sit and Reach Test Measures hamstring flexibility. Sit in chair with one leg bent, one leg straight. Can you reach toes of straight leg? Again, your score is positive or negative depending on your range of motion.
• Eight-Foot Up and Go Test From sitting, stand and walk fast (but don’t run!) around a cone eight feet away. How fast can you complete this mini circuit?
• Six-Minute Walk Test or Two-Minute Step in Place Test The names of these tests pretty much describe what’s done. For fit people, these might be too easy, so other tests (e.g., jogging or running) might be substituted.

The Chair Stand Test is promoted primarily as originally intended: to assess senior fitness. Major health organizations such as the CDC describe the test at their websites—and one of my student mentioned that her late father’s physician would have him do sit-to-stand during check-ups. But I have a hunch that most GP’s don’t bother with this type of thing.

Variations on Sit to Stand

The Chair Stand Test made an appearance in every class during spring session. I typically did at least one round of the standard 30-second test. But each week I introduced a related variation:

• Hold Utkatasana Familiar and stable, holding Utkatasana builds isometric muscular stamina. It’s an option for those whose joints can’t tolerate rapid movement.
• Move extra slow (instead of extra fast) In weightlifting, slow movement can be more effective (and more strenuous) than fast movement. Once, I had students pause and hover at various heights (between sitting and standing).
• Go for 40 or 45 seconds (instead of 30 seconds) Ten or 15 extra seconds might seem negligible, but if moving at your max speed, it makes a big difference!
• Sit lower than chair height If doable, students lowered their seat toward Malasana level—and then went up and down slowly.
• One-legged squats (balancing and supported) Form should resemble Utkatasana, but on one leg. Practice with hands on chair back or other support. Then try with hands on hips, balancing on one leg.
• Do a set number If you know your baseline count, simply do that many repeats. Without time pressure, improve your form.
• Sukhasana to standing, hands free Sit in Sukhasana. Without touching floor with hands, stand up. Switch leg cross and try other side. Go up and down several times as doable. (This exercise went viral a decade ago when a cardiology study concluded that it can predict mortality.)

Further Reading

New copies of the Senior Fitness Test Manual are expensive (close to $100), but I bought a reasonably priced used copy. Note there are two versions: 2001 original and 2012 revision.

Images: Stella, Almond Park, Kitsilano, Vancouver, May 2021, Luci Yamamoto.