The simple test that reveals how you get older

The test-to-stand test only takes 30 seconds to finish, but its results can provide deep information on your health.

Getting out of a chair may seem too trivial to pay a lot of attention, but your ability to do it actually reveals a lot about your health. To assess this, doctors use the Sit-to-stand test (STS), which measures the number of times you can raise yourself to a standing position from 30 seconds within 30 seconds. It is generally carried out in GP surgeries or community environments when screening for health problems in the elderly, but it can also be easily done at home.

“This is a really useful test, because he tells us about how people work,” said Jugdeep Dhesi, a geriatrician consultant at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London and geriatric medicine teacher at Kings College in London, in the United Kingdom. “He tells us about their strength, their balance and their flexibility. We know that there are studies that suggest that this can help inform if people risk things like fall,, Cardiovascular problems or even at a higher risk of dying. “”

Everything you need to do the home test is a chair with a straight back and no-rest rest, and a stopwatch or timer (most modern phones have this function).

To do the test, just sit in the middle of the chair, cross your arms and place both hands on your opposing shoulders. Keep your back straight with your feet on the ground. Then press the Start button on your stopwatch and go up in a full standing position before sitting again. Repeat this for 30 seconds, counting how many times you can arrive at a full standing position.

Although the test is mainly used in people over the age of 60, it has also been used in Those who are younger.

The American Public Health Agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) described the average results for different age groups. The scores that are lower than the average could indicate a risk of poor health results, such as falls. For example, for a person aged 60 to 64, the average is 14 for a man and 12 for a woman. If you are 85 to 89 years old, the average score is eight. However, these average scores do not take into account a person’s medical history – for example if they have recently undergone surgery or injury.

The test can also be beneficial for young people or those who have no health problems, because it is a good measure of the physical form, in particular muscle strength and endurance of the lower body. Researchers in Switzerland asked almost 7,000 adults To do the STS test, then compare the results. They found that the average score of children aged 20 to 24 was 50 / minute for men and 47 / minute for women. However, some of the participants were able to perform up to 72 repetitions in one minute.

In another study healthy volunteersWho had an average age of 21, the researchers found a strong association between the results of the Sit -Stand Sit test and a different – but longer – measure – of their aerobic capacity and their endurance.

Research shows that the way you allow the test can also say to health care providers on your underlying health. For example, a low score on the test can be used to identify people who could be at risk of worst results after surgery or after Cancer treatment.

According to the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC), if a person marks less to the test than the “average” of their age group, then they are also in higher risk of falls.

“What really worries us is that if people do not maintain their strength, their balance, their flexibility and their cardiovascular health, then they are more likely to fall,” explains Dhesi.

About 30% of people over 65 have a fall every year, And that reaches around 50% in people over 80 years of age. Once people have had a fall, they are often afraid of falling again, making them less likely to go out, sometimes leading to social isolation.

“If you worry about falling, you are not going to (necessarily) go out and meet people and do other things. He becomes a bit of a vicious circle,” said Dhesi.

A 2012 study even revealed that a variation in the STS test was “Significant predictor of mortality “ Adults aged 51 to 80. The individuals who obtained a low score in the test were between five and six times more likely to die over a period of six years than those who obtained the highest. However, Dhesi stresses that if tests like STS are a good indicator of health, they cannot predict how long a person can live.

“What you can use them (the results of sit-to-stand tests) is-is something we need to think of, and there are treatments or interventions that we should do to try to improve the results for the health of a person, their quality of life, their independence and to help them live well longer, which is really essential,” explains Dhesi.

“Doing this kind of home tests helps you see where you are in relation to other people your age and therefore it can be a really useful prompt to remember to do everything you can do to get better and stay better. So, I think it’s a very good way to allow people to take control of their own health.”

According to Dhesi, the best way to improve your score is to remain as active and mobile as possible. If the mobility is difficult, you can start by doing seated exercises that can be used to speed up. From there, you could move to get up maybe five times per hour or two hours.

If you can, mount and simply go down your living room and make sure you go up and descend the stairs at least three or four times a day can also make a difference.

“You want to avoid the” Bungalow legs “(that is to say the weak legs to live in a house of one floor)-essentially, you want to make sure that you can continue to go up and down the stairs using these muscles, to maintain your balance and to remain independent,” explains Dhesi.

Dhesi also advises people to go out and join exercise lessons if they can. Many gymnasiums organize exercise programs for low -cost seniors.

“The additional advantage is social contact in addition to physical contact. And we know that it is a really important aspect of age – loneliness and social isolation can really be prejudicial to your health.”

Finally, the other advice includes moving and doing household work. For the elderly, play with your grandchildren if you have them – descend on the ground with them and get up with them – can be useful. Other recommendations Include adding simple activities to your daily routine, like getting up and stretching if you have been seated for a while, walking in stores instead of driving or making more gardening.

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