Do you flop down in a chair? Or use your hands to push yourself out of it?
As you age, you may not even notice small declines in strength. And did you know that lower limb strength is associated with higher all-cause mortality?
Here’s a study to support that finding: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0033350623001464
Do the Sit to Stand test to access how strong your legs are:
- Move a folding chair (17inch height) close to a wall
- Fold your arms at your chest
- Time yourself for 30 seconds to see how many times you can sit down and stand up
How did you do?
Age group (years) Figures represent: Below Average; Average; Above Average.
- 60 – 64: < 12; 12 – 17; >17
- 65 – 69: < 11; 11 – 16; >16
- 70 – 74: < 10; 10 – 15; >15
- 75 – 79: < 10; 10 – 15; >15
- 80 – 84: < 9; 9 – 14; >14
- 85 – 89: < 8; 8 – 13; >13
- 90 – 94: < 4; 4 – 11; >11
https://www.physio-pedia.com/30_Seconds_Sit_To_Stand_Test
Resistance training is an obvious choice to offset strength declines.
But guess what? You ’squat’ several times every day, so why not use this as an opportunity to maintain your leg strength?
Here’s how to use the every day practice of sitting down and standing up to maintain (and even increase) leg strength: See a video here.
- Be conscious of S-L-O-W-L-Y lowering your butt to the seat instead of falling into your chair
- Sometimes practice a butt tap down to immediate stand
- Resist the urge to use your arms when sitting and rising
- Bonus points: After using the washroom, practice 5-10 ’squats’ or butt touch downs to standing position
It’s what you do daily over time that will affect long term health outcomes. Part of healthy aging is creating awareness around simple habits so they don’t fall off the radar; because once you stop doing some things, it gets hard to start.
Although this test is designed and assessed for the older adult (of which I’m a part now), don’t wait until you’re in your 60’s to start building leg strength. The sooner you begin, the stronger you are, the more muscle you’ll maintain over time.
And more muscle equals more function and quality of life later.
So get working on YOUR strength no matter what age you are, and .please share this with others to encourage them to do the same!
I can help, let’s talk.