The Sitting-Rising Test: Score Yourself by Age (and What It Predicts)

A 2014 study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology followed 2,002 adults aged 51 to 80 for 6.3 years and found that the ability to sit and rise from the floor without support predicted all-cause mortality with striking precision. Each one-point increase in the test's 10-point score was associated with a 21% reduction in mortality risk. Men who scored below 3 faced five times the mortality risk of those who scored 8 or above. The test takes under two minutes, requires no equipment, and gives you a direct readout of the specific physical capacities — hip mobility, leg strength, and balance — that underpin healthy function after 40.

The scorer below walks you through the test, calculates your score, and places it in the risk brackets from the study.

Key Takeaways

• Each 1-point increase in the sitting-rising test score is associated with 21% lower all-cause mortality (Araújo et al., Eur J Prev Cardiol 2014)
• Scores below 3 carry approximately 5× the mortality risk of scores 8–10 (HR 5.44, 95% CI 2.47–11.98)
• A 2020 EJPC study established age- and sex-specific reference scores from 6,141 adults
• A 2025 follow-up study confirmed the test predicts cardiovascular and natural cause mortality specifically
• The capacities tested — hip mobility, leg strength, balance — respond to training; the score is not fixed

In this article: How to do the test · Score yourself (calculator) · Your score by age · What the studies found · What the test can't tell you · How to raise your score · FAQ

How to Do the Sitting-Rising Test

Clear a patch of floor about two meters square. Remove your shoes. Stand in the center.

Phase 1 — Sitting down: Cross your legs and lower yourself to the floor, aiming to land cross-legged without placing a hand, knee, or forearm on the ground. The goal is to use only leg strength, hip mobility, and balance — no support.

Phase 2 — Rising up: From the cross-legged seated position, rise to standing without using your hands, knees, or forearms for support.

Scoring: Each phase starts at 5 points. You lose points for every support contact.

Your total score is the sum of both phases: 0 to 10. A score of 10 means you sat and rose without touching the floor with anything except your feet.

A few practical notes before you test:

• Do the test on a bare floor or exercise mat. A slippery surface changes the test.
• If you have an acute injury in a hip, knee, or ankle, skip the test and address the injury first.
• Try once without practice. Most people get a clear read on their score on the first attempt.
• Wear clothing that lets you cross your legs fully.

The test is not dangerous for most healthy adults. The challenge of getting up and down from the floor is an activity your body is built to do, not a clinical procedure.

Score Yourself

Use the scorer below. Tap which supports you used in each phase. Your score calculates automatically. Enter your age and sex to see where you stand against the 6,141-adult reference data from the 2020 Araújo study.

Your Score by Age: The Reference Chart

Araújo and colleagues published age- and sex-specific reference scores in a 2020 study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, drawing on 6,141 adults across a range of age groups. The core finding: scores decline about 1–1.5 points per decade for both sexes, and men score slightly higher than women in most age bands.

The table below shows approximate percentile benchmarks from that reference dataset. These are directional benchmarks, not diagnostic cut-offs.

Approximate reference from Araújo CGS et al., Eur J Prev Cardiol 2020;27(8):888 (n=6,141). Consult the primary paper for full percentile tables.

The age-related decline in this table is not inevitable. A 55-year-old scoring in the top quartile for his age group scored the same as an average 40-year-old. The test tracks physical function, and physical function responds to training throughout the lifespan.

What the Decline Actually Reflects

The sitting-rising test taxes three systems simultaneously: hip flexor and external rotator flexibility, quadriceps and glute strength, and proprioceptive balance. Men over 40 tend to lose hip mobility faster than grip strength or cardiovascular fitness, partly because sedentary work hours load the hip flexors in a shortened position for eight to ten hours daily.

A 52-year-old who cannot sit cross-legged without support usually has one or more of three deficits:

1. Restricted external hip rotation (the hip can't open enough to clear the floor comfortably)
2. Insufficient quad and glute strength to decelerate the descent
3. Weak ankle dorsiflexion, which shifts balance backward

All three are correctable with direct training. The score is not a report card on your genetics. It reflects your current physical state, which changes with what you do.

What the Studies Found About Scores and Survival

The 2014 Mortality Study

The foundational paper came from Brito, Araújo, and colleagues at the Exercise Medicine Clinic–CLINIMEX in Rio de Janeiro. They followed 2,002 adults aged 51 to 80 years from 1997 to 2011, tracking all-cause mortality over a mean follow-up of 6.3 years.

In that period, 159 participants died. After adjusting for age, sex, and BMI, the SRT score was a strong independent predictor of survival.

The relationship was dose-dependent: every additional point on the 10-point scale was associated with a 21% lower mortality risk (HR 0.79 per unit increase). The risk did not plateau at low scores — it kept rising sharply.

The authors controlled for physical activity, which is worth noting. The test predicted mortality beyond just whether someone exercised or not.

The 2025 Update: Cardiovascular vs. Natural Deaths

A 2025 follow-up study by Araújo and colleagues, published in the same journal, extended the analysis to distinguish between cardiovascular causes of death and natural causes more broadly. Their key finding: low SRT scores predicted both. The test did not just pick up cardiovascular risk; it tracked overall biological aging across multiple organ systems.

This matters because it rules out the simple explanation that the SRT works only because unfit hearts are more likely to fail. The test appears to tap something more fundamental about whole-body function.

What the Data Does Not Say

The studies are observational. They show association, not causation. A low SRT score predicts higher mortality risk — it does not cause it. The test is a marker, not a mechanism.

It is also worth noting that the 2014 study drew its participants from a Brazilian clinical exercise program. The sample was more physically active at baseline than the general US or UK population. The absolute mortality rates in the study may not transfer directly, though the dose-response relationship between score and mortality is the more robust finding.

What the Test Can't Tell You

The sitting-rising test measures a specific set of physical capacities: hip mobility, leg strength, and balance under a controlled movement pattern. It does not measure:

Cardiovascular fitness. A man with excellent hip mobility and strong legs can score 10 and still have poor VO2 max. The sitting-rising test and VO2 max measure different things. If you score well here but have not tested your cardiovascular fitness, check the VO2 max mortality calculator.

Upper body strength. The test is deliberately designed to exclude the arms. Your grip strength, which carries its own mortality signal, is tested separately. The grip strength calculator gives you that picture.

Muscle mass. A man with above-average mobility but low lean mass can score 8 while being sarcopenic. The sarcopenia risk calculator assesses muscle mass relative to height.

Bone density, metabolic health, cardiovascular disease risk. The SRT is one data point in a broader picture. The biological age tests guide covers the battery of functional tests that together give a more complete longevity profile.

The SRT's value is that it is a free, two-minute proxy for functional aging. Its limitation is the same: it is a proxy for specific physical capacities, not a comprehensive health screen.

How to Raise Your Score

Scores below 8 are correctable for most men under 70 with intact joint health. The deficits the SRT exposes respond to three categories of work.

Hip Mobility

The cross-legged sitting position requires 60 to 90 degrees of hip external rotation. Most men who struggle to sit cross-legged have restriction here, not in their hamstrings.

90/90 hip stretch: Sit on the floor with both legs at 90-degree angles — one knee forward, one to the side. Maintain an upright torso. Hold 90 seconds per side, twice daily. This is the single most effective drill for hip external rotation restriction.

Deep goblet squat hold: Hold a light kettlebell at the chest, squat as deep as possible, and use the elbows to push the knees out while the heels stay flat. Hold 60 seconds. Do 3 sets. This builds hip flexion range simultaneously with ankle mobility.

Pigeon pose progression: For men with significant external rotation restriction, the floor pigeon stretch targets the piriformis and gluteus medius. Work toward a 2-minute hold per side.

Leg Strength and Control

Getting up from the floor without hand support requires eccentric quad strength (controlling the descent) and concentric glute strength (driving the rise). Both deteriorate with age without direct training.

Bulgarian split squats: Position the rear foot on a bench and lower the front knee toward the floor, keeping the torso upright. Three sets of 8–12 per leg, twice weekly. This builds the exact strength pattern the SRT tests in the rising phase.

Single-leg Romanian deadlift: Hinge forward on one leg, keeping the spine neutral. This builds posterior chain strength and the single-leg balance the SRT requires. Start with bodyweight and progress to a light kettlebell.

Box step-downs: Stand on a low step and lower one foot slowly to the floor, keeping the standing knee tracking over the toes. 3 sets of 10 per leg. This builds eccentric quad control specifically.

For a comprehensive lower-body mobility program, see best mobility exercises for men over 50.

Balance and Proprioception

The SRT's wobble deduction captures balance failure during transitions. Men who lose 0.5 or 1 point to wobbling often have weak ankle stabilizers or reduced proprioceptive feedback — both common after 40.

Single-leg balance: Stand on one leg for 60 seconds with eyes open, then 30 seconds with eyes closed. Do this daily, both sides. Research on balance training in older adults consistently shows that 6 to 8 weeks of daily practice produces measurable improvements.

Lateral band walks: Place a resistance band around the ankles and step laterally for 20 steps each direction. This targets the hip abductors that stabilize the pelvis during single-leg movements.

Turkish get-up: The full Turkish get-up (with or without weight) teaches the exact movement pattern of getting from the floor to standing in a controlled, segmented sequence. It is also the most direct training transfer to the SRT.

Timeline and Retesting

Most men who are consistent with the above protocol — 20 to 30 minutes of deliberate mobility and lower-body work, three to four times weekly — see a 1 to 2-point improvement in 6 to 8 weeks. Men starting from a score of 3 or below typically need 3 to 6 months of consistent work to reach the 6 to 7 range.

Retest every 8 to 12 weeks. The test gives you a concrete number to track against. Avoid testing the same day as a hard leg workout — fresh muscles give a more accurate score than fatigued ones.

FAQ

Is 8 a good score at 50?

For a 50-year-old man, a score of 8 places you in the top quarter of your age group and in the lowest mortality risk bracket from the 2014 study. It is an excellent score. The goal at that age is to maintain it through your 50s, not merely to achieve it once.

Does body weight matter for the SRT score?

The 2014 Araújo study adjusted for BMI and found the SRT remained predictive of mortality after that adjustment. Higher body weight does reduce mechanical leverage for getting up from the floor, but it is not the primary driver of low scores in most men. Mobility restriction and leg weakness matter more than weight alone in most cases.

How often should I retest?

For men scoring in the 8–10 range, annual retesting is sufficient. For men scoring below 8 who are actively working to improve, retest every 8 to 12 weeks. For men scoring below 4, retest after a full training cycle (12 to 16 weeks) rather than more frequently — meaningful change takes time at that baseline.

Can I do the test on carpet?

Yes. A carpeted surface gives more grip, which can make the test slightly easier for some people. Use the same surface each time you retest for consistency.

What if I have knee or hip replacement?

Consult your orthopaedic surgeon before attempting the SRT after joint replacement. The cross-legged position places the replaced joint in an unusual range of motion. Many surgeons clear patients for this movement 12 to 18 months post-surgery, but this varies by implant type and recovery.

Is the SRT reliable in older adults above 80?

The 2014 study's population ran to age 80. The 2020 reference study included older adults as well, but scores below 1 become common after 80, and the floor effect limits the test's discriminatory power at the oldest ages. For men above 80, grip strength and gait speed tests tend to be more practical.

What does a score of 5 mean for my age?

That depends on your age. A score of 5 at 45 places you below the 25th percentile for your age group and in the moderate-to-high risk bracket from the mortality data. At 70, a score of 5 places you above the median for your age group. Use the calculator above with your age to see both pieces of context.

The sitting-rising test is one of several functional longevity tests that together give a more complete picture than any single measure. The biological age tests guide covers the full battery. For the cardiovascular side of the picture, see the VO2 max mortality calculator. For muscle mass and strength, see the grip strength calculator and sarcopenia risk calculator.

This article is for educational purposes only. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise program or if you have joint, cardiovascular, or other health conditions.

References

1. Brito LBB, Ricardo DR, Araújo DSMS, Ramos PS, Myers J, Araújo CGS. Ability to sit and rise from the floor as a predictor of all-cause mortality. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2014;21(7):892–898.
2. Araújo CGS, Marinho DA, Moutão J, et al. Sitting–rising test: Sex- and age-reference scores derived from 6141 adults. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2020;27(8):888.
3. Araújo CGS, et al. Sitting–rising test scores predict natural and cardiovascular causes of deaths in middle-aged and older men and women. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2025. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf325.