A Fitness Test for Seniors

If you're having trouble getting out of the tub or tending your garden, your fitness may be slipping. A lack of fitness as you age can lead to immobility and frailty, hindering the simplest tasks.

Researchers at California State University in Fullerton devised a test so people older than 60 can assess their fitness. This test will tell you how your fitness level compares with that of others your age. The results can help you take steps to stay active and independent.

Talk with your doctor before you tackle this or any other exercise. In general, don't take the test if you have experienced heart failure or high blood pressure (above 160/90), or your doctor has already told you never to exercise.

Do the six exercises in the order listed, allowing 45 minutes to finish. You'll need a straight-back or folding chair, a stopwatch, a dumbbell (5 pounds for women, 8 pounds for men), and an 18-inch ruler. Don't strain or push so hard that you become short of breath.

You can take the test at home, but have a friend help you.

30-SECOND CHAIR STAND (measures lower-body strength)

Place the chair against the wall so it doesn't move. Sit in the middle of the chair with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor. Cross the arms at the wrists against your chest. Stand, then sit down. Repeat this standing-sitting movement for 30 seconds. Record the number of stands.

ARM CURLS (measure upper-body strength)

Sit on the chair with your back straight, feet flat on the floor and dominant arm hanging free off one side of the chair. Grasp the dumbbell in your dominant hand as if shaking hands. Lower the dumbbell beside the chair, palm facing inward. Lift the weight to your chest, then lower it. Do this as fast as possible for 30 seconds. Your palm should turn toward the chest as the weight is raised and back toward the chair as it is lowered. Lower the weight all the way to its original position. Record the number of curls you finish in 30 seconds.

TWO-MINUTE MARCHING STEP (measures aerobic endurance)

Standing straight, find the point midway between your kneecap and hip bone. Put a piece of tape on that spot, move to a wall and transfer the tape to a spot at the same level on the wall. March in place for two minutes by lifting your knees to the height of the tape. If you need to rest, stop and begin again when you can, but do not go over two minutes. If you lose your balance, put your hand on a table or chair. Record the number of times your right knee reaches the tape level.

CHAIR SIT-AND-REACH (measures lower-body flexibility)

Sit on the chair edge with one foot flat on the floor (knee bent 90 degrees) and the other leg extended with the foot flexed and toe pointing up. Slowly reach forward, bending at the hips with one hand on top of the other. Try to touch the toes of your extended leg, but don't bounce or stretch to the point of pain. Measure the distance in inches from the tips of the middle fingers to the top of the shoe. If you reach past the toes, record a positive (+). If you touch the toes, record a zero. If you can't reach the toes, record the distance as negative (-). Do this twice, and record the better score.

BACK SCRATCH (measures upper-body shoulder flexibility)

While standing as straight as possible, reach one hand over the shoulder and down the back and the other hand behind the back and up. Try to bring your hands together and touch or overlap the middle fingers of each hand. Measure the distance of overlap or distance between the tips of the middle fingers. If the fingers overlap, record the score as a positive (+). If the fingers touch, record a zero. If the fingers can't touch, record the score as a negative (-). Do this twice, and record the better score.

EIGHT-FOOT UP-AND-GO (measures motor ability and dynamic balance)

Place a cone or marker eight feet from a stable chair (measure from the front legs of the chair to the back of the cone). Sit on the chair with feet flat on the floor and hands on thighs. Push off the chair and walk as quickly as you can around the cone, back to the chair and sit down. Do the test twice, and record your best time.

Rating your fitness

To assess your fitness, compare your scores to those for your age group in the chart below. If your score falls in that range, you're at the normal level. Lower scores place your ability for that exercise below normal; higher scores put you above normal. Use the results to pinpoint areas that need work.