Fitness Check-Up #3

Week 3 of the Fit Score. Here is fitness check-up test #3.

Test #3) Swiss 1-Minute Sit-to-Stand Test

Why this test:

In Switzerland, one of the top four countries for life expectancy, 74

percent of the population from 35 to 64 years of age is active. The

government has implemented an in-depth plan around physical

activity and tracks it closely, so it’s a great resource for fitness data.

The fitness culture involves hiking, running, biking, and skiing.

The government promotes movement at a young age by not busing

kids to schools. Rather, students walk to and from school, high-

lighting the priority of lifestyle and health.

Purpose:

Test lower body strength endurance.

History and Research:

Muscle strength endurance are among the most important

indicators of current health and longevity predictors in healthy

individuals and people with chronic disease. The Swiss Sit-to-Stand

Study, performed in 2013 with over 7,000 participants, was part of

a national campaign to understand the correlation between lower

body strength endurance and overall health. The Swiss health

statistics are some of the best in the world, but this particular test

bases the standards on some very specific numbers. The test clearly

shows decreased lower body strength endurance result in an

increased risk of mortality. In another study related to lower body

strength endurance, those with above average lower body strength

endurance had a 14 percent lower risk of death. In the Swiss

Sit-to-Stand Study, the median score was 50 Sit-to-Stands in one

minute across all ages. Please see the chart provided below

for your exact age and the associated scores. The study concludes

that below-average scores, calculated at the 25th percentile or less,

indicate a higher risk for disease and increased health risks.

Pros:

Easy to do, not much equipment required, just a chair or bench

that is 18 inches high.

Cons:

If you have a lower-body injury that restricts you from doing squats

or sitting down and standing up rapidly, this might not work for

you.

Protocol:

Start standing with your knees and hips fully extended.

Your feet should be right outside your hips.

Squat to touch your butt to a bench, box, or chair 18” from the

floor.

Hands are by the side or on hips; don’t put hands on legs to

support.

Stand back up to the start position and repeat as many times in

one minute as possible.

What to watch for: Make sure you touch your butt to the 18-inch

bench and stand all the way up each time.

Let me know how you do.

See you in the gym,

Aaron Leventhal CSCS, ACSM-Cancer Specialist, PN1