TikTok Myth of the Week: the Sit-Stay Test Will Tell You When You’re Dying
Big news from TikTok: The stupid thing I did as a party trick (standing cross-legged without using my arms) is now being posted as a test of your longevity. If you can’t sit on the ground and stand up without using your hands, I’m sorry, you’re going to die sometime in the next six years.
Of course, this isn’t true, but a 2012 study supposedly claims it is. Let’s look at the kernel of truth behind this trend and what it really means (or doesn’t mean) if you can’t do it.
What is the sit-stand test?
This is a trick question! There are two sit-stand tests, only one of which came with a dire six-year warning.
On the one hand, there is a test that is traditionally called the “sit to stand” test. We are talking about a chair. You cross your arms over your shoulders, and then an observer—perhaps a nurse or physical therapist—counts how many times you can stand up and sit down in 30 seconds. It is used as a baseline indicator of cardiovascular health. You may not be an athlete, but if you can do 16 reps or more, you’re in pretty good shape for a 65-year-old. (Score charts exist for older people, but they have not been validated for use in younger groups.)
Being on TikTok is a different challenge . It is often called SRT, which stands for sit-rise test. In this case, you are asked to sit on the ground and then stand up with as little support as you feel you need. Every time you put your hand or knee on the ground (or push your knee with your hand), you lose a point. To get a perfect score of 10, you need to sit and stand without using your hands or knees at all.
This is where the party trick comes in handy. If you can cross your legs and then sit and stand up from that position, you’ll get a perfect score! (Kind of. There’s an important caveat, which we’ll discuss in a minute.) So, all the fitness influencers are posting videos of themselves doing it easily and telling you that if you can’t do it either, well, I guess. you will do it. die.
What does death within six years have to do with it?
A 2012 European Journal of Preventive Cardiology article asked about 2,000 people to undergo CRT and then followed them for six years (mean 6.3). These were elderly people, from 51 to 80 years old. During the follow-up period, there were more deaths among people who scored low on the test (0–3) than among people who scored 8 or higher.
Note that the high-risk group included people who scored 0-3, not (as TikTok would have you believe) 9 or lower. Also note that not all people with low scores died. Even among people who scored 3 or more (remembering that they were older adults to begin with), 60% of them were still alive at the end of the six-year follow-up. So, to summarize:
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Getting 9/10 is not a bad rating. Anything 8 or higher was considered a high score.
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Even people who scored very poorly (0–3) did not all die; at the end of six years, more than half were still alive.
The researchers found that people who scored worse on the test were more likely to die during follow-up than people who scored higher. Therefore, they suggest that this test is beneficial for longevity.
But get this: They say it’s useful for identifying older adults whose muscle weakness and lack of flexibility may put them at risk for falls, injuries and difficulty performing daily tasks . It is not for fit people to convince themselves that they are going to die soon.
In fact, there are many physical fitness tests that correlate with mortality. This sit-stand test, which you do in a chair, also shows that people who score well are less likely to die in the short term. The same can be said for walking tests, flexibility tests, grip strength tests and more. The 2012 paper on CRT was notable because it is an easy-to-use test and appears to give healthcare providers better information about a patient than other tests (at least that’s what the authors claim). Whether it’s fun to do on TikTok is completely irrelevant.
How to get up off the ground without using your hands
Okay, this is where we get to the practical side of things. First, learn how the test is actually administered. Before you try this, the tester should tell you the following:
Without worrying about speed, try sitting down and then getting up from the floor using the minimum amount of support you feel is needed.
The tester then observes you and deducts a point (from 5 points for sitting and 5 points for standing) for each hand, knee, forearm or side of the leg you use for support. They may also deduct half a point if you look like you’re losing your balance.
Here’s what a lot of TikTokers are missing: the test allows you to sit and stand cross-legged , as long as you can do it without using the sides of your legs . After watching a bunch of these videos, I’m not sure that anyone I’ve seen doing this with their legs crossed actually scored a perfect 10.
You can still score a pass of 8 if you use one hand to lower and stand up, or one knee (or one of both). A formal test also allows the tester to coach you and gives you a better chance of improving. So you’re actually doing great, even if it takes some practice to get the hang of it and if you end up with “only” an 8.
But what if I just want to look cool on TikTok?
Okay, this is where I provide a real journalistic service. My credentials: Not only can I pass a flashy version of this TikTok “test,” I also did it with a 114-pound barbell on my back .
To take the sit-to-stand test on TikTok:
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Cross one leg in front of the other. Make sure your feet are parallel to each other or as close as possible (close to each other, but not to the same side).
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Before sitting down, make sure you are balanced on both legs. If you lose your balance here, you’ll be in even more trouble later.
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Bend your knees and lean forward so that your center of balance is above your feet.
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Before sitting down, bring your buttocks as close to your heels as possible.
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Make getting up easier by keeping your feet where they were when you sat down; there is no need to relax in a fully seated position.
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To stand, lean forward—it will feel like you’re squeezing your abs—to regain balance on your feet. Then stand up.
Experiment to see what works best for you: keeping your feet close together or further apart. Also play with how much you use the sides of your feet (which is illegal in the real version, but ok on TikTok). I’ve also found that it helps to think of one of your legs doing most of the work and the other supporting you. The working leg can stand completely on the ground, but the other cannot.
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What does it mean if I can’t get up off the ground without using my arms?
This does not mean that you will die in six years , as we already said. This may mean that you would benefit from working on:
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Leg strength (start doing squats and lunges)
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General flexibility , especially in the hips or other areas where tension is felt when trying to do so.
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Balance and body awareness
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Exercise! Physical skills improve when you spend time working on them.
You can practice on a box or step that is low to the ground; use smaller steps when it gets easier.
The element of body proportions also plays a role here. Some people can pass this test without even crossing their legs, simply by placing their butt behind their feet; my body is not designed to allow me to do this. (My lanky teenage son can, however.) On the other hand, I can take a wide stance, bring my knees inward into a W-shape, and jump out of that position quite easily. Most people don’t have the internal rotation of the hip to do this without hurting themselves. Each of us has our own anatomical features.
Moreover, there are strong, athletic people who can’t do any of this because it’s a stupid test we give to lols . The original version can reveal weaknesses in your strength and flexibility, although it does not literally predict your lifespan; the TikTok version is really just for fun.