Built to Move: The Sit-And-Rise Test

This is an edited excerpt from BUILT TO MOVE by Juliet Starrett and Kelly Starrett, out now.

The primary goal of this test is to determine whether you have good range of motion in your hips. It also gauges leg and core strength, as well as balance and coordination, attributes that help you get up and down from the floor without assistance. The combined power of these elements allows you to move smoothly and, when you need to, swiftly.

Before you go forward, keep a few things in mind. You get a gold star if you can both sit down and rise straight up from the cross-legged position without using any kind of assist. But it’s also okay to use an assist. There’s no disgrace in not doing well or even failing this test. Once you have your score, we’ll show you how to improve it. So take the test and see how you fare.

PREPARATION
Wear clothes that aren’t restrictive and go barefoot. Choose a spot where the floor is clear of debris.

THE TEST
Stand next to a wall or steady piece of furniture if you think you will need help. From there, cross one foot in front of the other and sit down on the floor into a cross-legged position without holding on to anything (unless you feel very unsteady). Now, from the same cross-legged position, rise up off the floor, if possible, without placing your hands or knees on the floor or using anything else for support.
Tip: Lean forward with your hands outstretched in front of you to keep your balance.

WHAT YOUR RESULTS MEAN
Start by giving yourself a score of 10, then subtract one point for each of the following assists or problems:

• Bracing yourself with a hand on the wall or other solid surface
• Placing a hand on the ground
• Touching your knee to the floor
• Supporting yourself on the side of your legs
• Losing your balance

Whether your score is good, bad, or ugly, think of it for what it is: simply a baseline number by which you can measure your prowess and then, if you need to improve (and almost everybody does), your progress. No matter your age or the shape you’re in, strive to get a 10. Your ultimate goal should be to get up and down off the floor without using any points of contact, period.

Does that mean you’re a failure if you get below 10? No.

Everyone, including us, will still like you. It just means that, while you get kudos for incrementally improving your score by adopting the physical practices we recommend, don’t stop until you retest at a score of 10.

Here’s what they mean:
10 points—The gold standard. You obviously have a good range of motion in your hips and are blessed with other essentials of mobility. Don’t, however, rest on your laurels. Do the physical practices to maintain your skill.
7–9 points—Congratulations, you’re close. With just a little practice—it may be just a matter of attaining better balance or flexibility in the hips—you’ll hit 10.
3–6 points—You’re trending in the right direction but have a lot of room for improvement. Prioritize this physical practice, which will help you improve the hip range of motion you may be lacking.
0–2 points—Getting up and down from the floor is obviously very difficult, maybe even impossible, for you. Don’t be discouraged. This is something you can master—and, with practice, you will. Rising without any support requires some leg and trunk control as well as balance and hip range of motion. These are things you can develop by habitually getting up and down from the floor and engaging in targeted mobilizations.

WHEN SHOULD YOU RETEST?
Every time you sit on the floor (ideally, every day), you can take the Sit-and-Rise Test again to see how you’re improving.

Learn more about the Sit-and-Rise test and other practices and assessments that can improve the way your body feels and boost the overall quality of your life, no matter how you spend your time, in BUILT TO MOVE, out now.