GRANDMA · HOW ARE YOU AGING? · 4 TESTS AT HOME
4 strength tests you can do at home
None of them needs equipment or a gym: a chair, a stopwatch and four meters of hallway. Each test is worth one point. And remember the most important part: no score is your destiny — all four abilities can be trained. In the video above, Grandma does the first one with you — the chair test, drawn step by step — and in its section you'll also find the second one, the balance test.
Educational content prepared with official health sources. Professional medical review pending.
No personalized diagnoses: consult your doctor.
📅 Published on October 30, 2026 · Updated on November 1, 2026 with Test 2 · Videos of 1:17 and 1:23 · Full transcripts included
The video is in Spanish, also on Facebook · Instagram
Test 1 · The chair ×5 (leg strength)
Use a firm chair braced against a wall. Sit down, cross your arms over your chest and time yourself: stand up and sit down 5 times, as fast as you can, without pushing with your hands.
Your age band (averages from thousands of people, Bohannon 2006):
- 60 to 69 years: ~11 seconds
- 70 to 79 years: ~13 seconds
- 80 to 89 years: ~15 seconds
If you beat your band, score 1 point. If you were slower — or over 15 seconds in total — the European clinical guideline (EWGSOP2) reads that as low strength: not a sentence, but a signal to train your legs and mention it to your doctor.
Safety: firm chair against the wall. If you feel dizzy or strong pain, stop — this test can wait for another day.
Test 2 · One-leg balance, 10 seconds
Stand next to a wall or a firm piece of furniture, for safety. Rest the free foot against the opposite calf, arms at your sides, eyes forward, without holding on. The goal: 10 seconds per leg (up to 3 tries per side).
In a study of 1,702 adults aged 51 to 75 (British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2022), not reaching 10 seconds was associated with poorer health in later years. That is a group association, not a personal prediction: take it for what it is — a kind signal to train your balance.
▶ Do it with Grandma: Test 2 on video (1 minute 23 seconds, in Spanish)
Test 2 is in Spanish, also on Facebook · Instagram
Test 3 · Your walking speed (4 meters)
Mark 4 meters at home and walk that stretch at your normal pace, timed. Your speed is 4 ÷ your seconds.
- 1.2 m/s or more (4 meters in ~3.3 s or less): good function.
- 0.8 m/s or less (4 meters in 5 s or more): low physical performance per the European consensus — a point to review and train.
Your walking speed is a vital sign almost nobody measures. And it also improves with practice and leg strength.
Test 4 · Sit down and get up from the floor
On a rug or non-slippery surface, with a piece of furniture nearby. From standing, lower yourself to sit on the floor and come back up using as little support as possible. The classic version scores 0 to 10 (minus 1 for each support — hand, forearm, knee or side of the leg — and 0.5 for each wobble); for your series score, count the point if you can do it with at most one light support.
Safety first: if you have a recent prosthesis, strong knee or hip pain, or dizziness, do NOT do this test — keep your score from the other three. That is also taking care of yourself.
Your score: 0 to 4
Add one point per test you achieve. Whatever your number is today, it is a starting snapshot, not a verdict: leg strength, balance and walking pace respond to training, at any age.
Did one come out low? Three steps: (1) repeat it in a week, rested and unhurried; (2) start moving daily — walking and standing up from a chair with good form are the base training; (3) if it keeps coming out low, or you have had falls, bring it up with your doctor: that is also taking care of yourself.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I repeat the tests?
Every 4 to 8 weeks is a good rhythm to see your progress without obsessing over the stopwatch.
Can I do them if I have an operated knee?
The chair test, only if your doctor has already cleared you for load and movement. The floor test is better skipped. When in doubt, ask your doctor first.
Does a low score mean I am sick?
No. These are function tests, not diagnoses. They tell you where you stand and what to train — and let you arrive at your appointment with data, not fears.
Sources
- Bohannon RW (2006). Reference values for the five-times sit-to-stand test — summary at sralab.org.
- Cruz-Jentoft AJ et al. (2019). EWGSOP2 sarcopenia consensus. Age and Ageing, 48(1):16–31.
- Araújo CGS et al. (2022). 10-second one-leg balance and mortality. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
- Araújo CGS et al. (2012; 2025 update). Sitting-rising test.
Full video transcript (Spanish)
Hay una prueba de quince segundos que dice más de tus piernas que cualquier análisis. Y la mayoría de los mayores de cincuenta no la pasa. Hazla conmigo.
Busca una silla firme, apóyala contra la pared. Siéntate, cruza los brazos al pecho… y al contar tres: levántate y siéntate cinco veces, lo más rápido que puedas, sin empujarte con las manos. Cronométrate. Una… dos… tres… cuatro… ¡cinco! Anota tu tiempo. Ese número es el que importa.
¿Cuánto es normal? Depende de tu edad — esto sale de un análisis de miles de personas: de sesenta a sesenta y nueve, el promedio es once segundos; de setenta a setenta y nueve, unos trece; de ochenta a ochenta y nueve, unos quince. Si tardaste menos que tu banda: tu primera nota ya está en el bolsillo — uno de cuatro. Si tardaste más, no es una sentencia: es tu punto de partida, y las piernas responden cuando se entrenan.
Mañana viene la segunda prueba, y es la que más sorprende: pararte en una sola pierna diez segundos. Comenta INFO y te mando la guía con las cuatro pruebas y qué hacer si una te sale floja. Tus piernas te cargan todos los días — hoy les tocó hablar.
Test 2 · Ten seconds on one leg — its transcript (in Spanish)
Diez segundos. Una sola pierna. Suena a juego de niños — y es la prueba que más sorprende a los mayores de cincuenta. Hazla conmigo, junto a una pared.
Párate junto a una pared o un mueble firme, por si necesitas agarrarte. Apoya el pie libre contra tu pantorrilla, brazos a los lados, mirada al frente… y al contar tres: levanta el pie y cuenta hasta diez. Sin agarrarte. ¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tres! ¡Cuatro! ¡Cinco! ¡Seis! ¡Siete! ¡Ocho! ¡Nueve! ¡Diez! Si tambaleaste, tienes hasta tres intentos por pierna. Anota si llegaste a diez.
¿Por qué importa? En un estudio con más de mil setecientas personas de cincuenta y uno a setenta y cinco años, quienes no lograron los diez segundos tuvieron, en los años siguientes, una salud más frágil que quienes sí pudieron. Ojo: es una señal, no un pronóstico — nadie te está afectando nada. Es tu cuerpo pidiendo que entrenes el equilibrio, y el equilibrio SÍ se entrena, a cualquier edad. ¿Llegaste a diez? Segunda nota en el bolsillo: dos de cuatro.
La tercera prueba ni siquiera se siente prueba: es tu velocidad al caminar, el signo vital que nadie te mide. Comenta INFO y te mando la guía con las cuatro pruebas. Tu equilibrio te sostiene todos los días — hoy te tocó escucharlo.
🎬 Grandma is Red de Salud Hispana's character: a presenter created with artificial intelligence who explains health ideas at home in clear language. This content is educational and does not replace your doctor's advice.
Your score fills up, test by test
Two of the four are out: the chair and one-leg balance. Each one is worth a point — your score stands at 2 of 4. Next comes the third one: your walking speed, the vital sign nobody measures.
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