How you sit and stand reveals a lot about your health

Modern life often keeps us sedentary - sitting in the car or on the bus, at work, at home, or at the movies. Yet one simple movement we perform daily can meaningfully improve our physical and mental wellbeing when done regularly, experts say.

How we sit and stand, a test used by researchers and clinicians, provides a window into our physical and functional capacity, says Ruby Talley, Wellington-based founder of Plexity, which specialises in exercise services that support cognitive function.

Rising from sitting without thinking reflects "a healthy nervous system doing its job", Talley says. When you start needing assistance or find the movement challenging, it may indicate an issue in the neural pathway responsible for that action.

"Everyone thinks about movement happening from the neck down, but movement only occurs because your brain's telling [your body] to do it. So it also comes down to your neurological health and your brain health and how well your brain can communicate with your body."

Struggling to stand - whether due to limited strength, mobility or balance - can affect quality of life, she says.

"You start going, 'I don't know if I can go there, because the ground's uneven', and 'I don't trust my balance', or 'that place has got a staircase, and I don't know if it's got a handrail'."

What's the research behind this 'test'?

Research suggests that for people over 65, taking longer than 15 seconds to complete five sit‑to‑stand repetitions is associated with a higher risk of falling, Talley says. (Other age groups and scores are available on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.)

ACC recorded 3785 new injury claims in 2025 related to standing up or getting up from seats, couches or chairs, compared with 3203 in 2021. Not all were necessarily caused by the act of standing - ACC does not require full details because it operates on a "no‑fault basis".

AUT physiotherapy professor Duncan Reid says the risk of falling in older age is also associated with mortality. "There are lots of preventative benefits of doing sit to stand or doing squatting type movements and/or adding weight to the movement of sit to stand, which have quite long term benefits for people's health."

A 2012 study on the sit‑to‑rise test from the floor produced striking results and has been replicated over the years. A study published last year in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that middle‑aged and older adults who can perform the test without support are less likely to die - particularly from cardiovascular disease - over the following decade.

However, Talley notes these studies show correlation, not causation, and many other factors influence longevity.

"The [2012] study is not setting an elite standard. It's not saying that you need to be scoring eight, nine, or 10 out of 10 to survive. It's saying that every tiny improvement that you can make in your ability to get off the floor has a meaningful impact on your longevity."

How do you do these tests?

Talley emphasises there's no "right or wrong" way to get up in daily life, but her clinic sit-to-stand assessment involves sitting halfway forward on the chair, placing feet shoulder‑width apart with toes forward, leaning at the hips, and using momentum to rise into a tall, controlled stance.

The sit‑to‑rise test from the floor uses a 10‑point scale, subtracting a point each time support (such as hands or knees) is used. Reid says there's nothing wrong with using support if needed - but not using it means the glutes and quadriceps are more active in pushing against gravity.

Eric L'Italien, a physical therapist with Harvard‑affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, recommends starting with the easiest version and gradually reducing support if possible. Harvard Health Publishing advises wearing comfortable clothing, going barefoot, and using a carpet or yoga mat. They recommend avoiding the test if you have disabilities or joint issues such as hip, spine or knee arthritis.

Stand with your feet slightly apart and cross one foot in front

Slowly lower yourself to the ground, then try to stand back up.

How often should you be getting up?

Reid says sit‑to‑stand exercises should be done about 10 times a day to have an effect. Getting up every 20-30 minutes also helps break up long periods of sitting.

"For those people who are in office jobs, [you could be] doing things like moving your printer way down the other end of the office. So you have to get out of your chair, walk down the corridor, come back and do those sort of things."

Why bother?

Reid says being less active leads to natural muscle loss, known as sarcopenia, which makes getting up - especially from deep seats or squats - more difficult. Bone health can also decline, as bone tissue needs load and muscle force "to be strong", he says.

Other benefits of standing up more often include increased heart rate and improved blood flow to the brain. Better circulation supports mental health because exercise releases endorphins - "feel good" chemicals, he says.

"It also helps with things like your gut regulation. Because if you're sitting all day, your gut is not moving. And therefore, constipation, poor nutrition transfer through to your organs is less.

"So moving up and down and getting your gut to work in a way which is more active also helps you with increased nutrition, the value of the food that you're eating."