6 Easy Exercises to Test Your Fitness at Home

Measuring how quickly you can complete these moves will give you a better idea of how well you are aging.

If you’ve been wondering how physically fit you still are, you may think you need a personal trainer to find out. But that time and expense isn’t required. There are simple at-home fitness tests that can give you an idea of how well you’re doing.

This isn’t just a vanity exercise: Staying active as you grow older helps you more easily complete the basic tasks of daily living. Being able to do that helps protect your future health.

Research shows that a loss of physical fitness and mobility is the primary factor that predicts disability in older adults. Testing your fitness at home helps you see if you’re on a healthy path.

“You’re measuring your ability to be independent, your fall risk, and your overall health, so you can identify your strengths and weaknesses,” says Gretchen Zelek. She is a certified fitness professional and a functional aging specialist based in Santa Monica, California.

Zelek suggests trying these six exercises to gauge your strength, endurance, and flexibility. They are part of the Fullerton functional fitness test and are appropriate for people of all fitness levels. Repeat them every month or two to measure your progress.

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How to Perform the At-Home Fitness Test

If you are new to exercise, have balance issues or a chronic health condition (such as osteoporosis or arthritis), or if it’s been a few months since your last workout, it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor to find out if there are any exercises you should avoid based on your health history. Ask them to recommend safe alternatives or modifications.

What you’ll need:

• Supportive athletic shoes
• Comfortable clothing
• Sturdy chair without armrests or wheels (such as a dining room chair)
• Light dumbbell — about 4 pounds for women, 8 pounds for men. (If you don’t have a dumbbell at home, Zelek says it’s all right to use a heavy object that you can comfortably hold, such as a water bottle, can of food, or hardback book.)
• Stopwatch or clock with a second hand
• Ruler
• Clutter-free space to move (to avoid tripping)

Tips:

• Place the back of your chair against a wall for extra stability.
• Recruit a friend or family member to take the test with you. You can record each other’s results and cheer each other on.

1. Sit-to-Stand Test

What it tests: Lower-body strength, which is important for activities such as getting out of a car and standing up from a seated position.

How to do it:

• Sit in a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart and arms crossed in front of your chest.
• For 30 seconds, see how many times you can come to a full stand and return to a full sit-down.
• Tip: Before standing each time, root your feet to the ground and brace your stomach muscles. This will help give you support and stability to complete the move.

How to measure your results: An average adult between the ages of 60 and 79 can do 10 to 19 repetitions, says Zelek.

How to improve: One of the best ways to improve your results is to turn this fitness test into an actual daily exercise, says Zelek. Combine it with lower-body strength training exercises such as squats and lunges two to three times a week.

2. Arm Curl Test

What it tests: Your upper-body strength, which you need for carrying groceries, lifting heavy objects, or catching yourself if you trip.

How to do it:

• Sit in a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold a dumbbell or water bottle in one hand with your arm to your side, palm facing your body.
• Keep your elbow right next to your body and lift the weight to your shoulder, rotating your fist so that the bottle touches your shoulder.
• Release and repeat for 30 seconds.
• Switch arms and repeat.

How to measure your results: An average adult between the ages of 60 and 79 can do 11 to 22 reps, says Zelek.

How to improve: Do more upper-body strength training moves. Think wall push-ups, overhead presses, bicep curls, and bent-over rows.

3. Chair Sit and Reach Test

What it tests: Lower-body flexibility, which you need for walking, bending, reaching, balancing, and preventing falls.

How to do it:

• Sit toward the edge of a sturdy chair with both feet flat on the floor.
• Extend your left leg, toes up, and keep your right foot on the floor.
• Place one hand on top of the other and reach toward your left toes, keeping your back straight.
• Hold for two seconds and check the distance from your reach to your toes.
• Repeat two times on each leg, checking the distance each time.

How to measure your results: If your fingertips touch the floor, the score is zero (that’s good!). Also really good: touching your toes. If you can’t quite reach them, measure the distance between your fingers and toes.

An average adult between the ages of 60 and 79 can reach from within four inches of their toes to five inches past them, says Zelek.

How to improve: Do stretching exercises such as yoga, tai chi, and Pilates. Many community centers and senior centers offer chair yoga classes, which can also help improve your flexibility.

4. Back Scratch Test

What it tests: Upper body and shoulder flexibility, which you need for reaching, good posture, and balance.

How to do it:

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
• Extend your right arm overhead and bend your elbow.
• Reach your palm toward the middle of your back.
• Reach your left arm behind you up the middle of your back with your palm facing back.
• Move your hands as close to each other as you can.

How to measure your results: An average adult between the ages of 60 and 79 should be able to get their hands to within nine inches of each other.

How to improve: As with the sit-to-stand test, repeating this exercise daily is a great way to move the needle in the right direction. SilverSneakers Yoga sessions can also help.

5. 8-Foot Up and Go Test

What it tests: Agility and balance while moving, which you need for coordination, fall reduction, and reaction time.

How to do it:

• Sit in a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart, hands on knees.
• Time how long it takes you to stand up, walk eight feet, turn around, and return to your seat.

How to measure your results: An average adult between the ages of 60 and 79 should be able to do the test in 3.8 to 7.4 seconds, says Zelek.

How to improve: Do more strength training and cardiovascular exercises, such as walking, swimming, and dancing.

Recommended workout: Better Balance Challenge: 10-Minute Reaction Balance Training

6. March in Place Test

What it tests: Aerobic fitness and balance, which you need for heart health, endurance, and fall prevention.

How to do it:

• Stand close to a wall for support, if needed.
• March in place for two minutes, raising your knees to mid-thigh level.
• As you march, count how many times you lift your legs to that mark.

How to measure your results: An average adult between the ages of 60 and 79 should be able to perform 68 to 115 marches per side, says Zelek.

How to improve: Walk as often as you can and take the stairs whenever possible.

Assessing Your Results

If your results are as good or better than average, congratulations! You’re aging well and continuing to exercise will help you stay on that path.

If your results aren’t what you’d hoped, don’t get discouraged. Make a plan to exercise more consistently, to build your stamina and strength. Talk to your doctor about tailoring an exercise plan to your needs, activity level, and physical health. And if your health plan includes the SilverSneakers fitness benefit, take advantage of it! Zelek points out that it doesn’t take long to start seeing gains.

See our sources:
Physical activity and disability: Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation
Fullerton functional fitness test: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

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