Many people who consider themselves fit can't pass three basic hip mobility checks 1) Squat down until your hip crease drops below your knee 2) Stand on one leg and pull the opposite knee past 90 degrees 3) The sit-and-rise test—lower yourself to the floor cross-legged, then stand back... up, without using your hands or knees at any point The sit-and-rise test (demo video in the reply) is the one worth obsessing over, because it's a proxy for longevityshow more

From our latest episode with Dr. Kelly Starrett (@thereadystate) Out now on all platforms Rhonda and Kelly cover: • Why pain doesn't always mean you're injured • How to manage persistent pain without stopping training • Why sitting on the ground is so important And so much more

Here's how to do the sit-and-rise test:

I start every morning with stretching. Us unc's gotta stay mobile. I have notices significant changes in my flexibility. absolute life changer.

Tried the sit and rise test once and accidentally discovered new sounds my knees can make

Are you saying that a person is not fit if they cannot do the sit to rise check. I call bullshit. I could not do that when I was 17 much less at 67. #nofitshaming

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Good way to blow out your ACL - WHO COMES UP WITH THIS CRAP?

lol yeah too many past sport injuries.

Thank you! Question I’d be grateful for an answer to: How do you get better at the sit and rise test?

Could you post the link to the research that shows these are tied to longevity, thnx

To be fit is one thing, to be flexible is another thing 🤝

How do you rise from the floor without using your knees at any point?

Sit and rise test is not an indicator of longevity. Only short people whose short limbs give them mechanical advantage can do this.

Mobility tests like these are great reality checks. Strength is one thing, but being able to move well, squat, balance, get up and down from the floor, is a huge longevity marker.

I’m 63, have practice Ashtanga, power flow and yin daily and can pass each of these tests with ease.

Phew, did all three 😮‍💨

The floor cross legged test is tough for most …

@ViktorSimdope sit and ride test 👀

Are these safe if you have had bilateral hip replacements?

You need to show videos of how to do these not just write them

In my eyes the sit and rise test is a special movement/exercise which doesn't prove shit. For me it is more important,that I'm stromg and mobile enough,have a solid aerobic base and I'm eating real food with focus on protein and overall quality of what I put in my body

What if I’ve never been able to pass the sit-and-rise test at any level of fitness?

so now here we go with all the people in the world who don't do anything fitness related ever and we are gonna shame those who actually do with nonsense like this...wtf man...

Wild how many people train for aesthetics or endurance but completely ignore whether their body can actually move well through basic human positions. That sit-and-rise test is humbling because it exposes more than “fitness”  it checks balance, coordination, mobility, joint health, and strength all at once. Basically: can your body still support you without compensating? A lot of people can deadlift heavy but can’t comfortably get off the floor without using momentum or their hands. That should probably tell us something.

@eddiehallWSM I think you should do a video demonstrating all 3!!!

Fitness isn’t just strength—it’s control and mobility. If you can’t move well, it’ll show up later. Pass these basics, and you’re building longevity—not just workouts.

Trust me, the sit and rise test is not a proxy for longevity. I am a member of several hiking groups. Many are in their 80s still traversing steep mountainous terrain. None of them can pass this test. I am 79 and do a lot of off trail back country exploration. I couldn’t pass this test 20 or 30 years ago.

This is BS, who considers themselves fit but can’t do a squat?

The favorite thing I ever heard from Kelly is his concept of the "reference breath," to see how much air you can get in you and how well your lungs are functioning during work

Can anyone explain how sit-and-rise test correlates with hips other than testing abductor/adductor strenght and exercise technique?

Yea definitely me. Im really concerned and trying stretching and mobility exercises. Its only been 2 weeks. Ive got a very long way to go

I’m not sure what to think. I’m not fit at ALL, but I can do all 3 of those things easily. Age in my 40s. I’m skeptical that this is a marker of longevity

Hahahahahaha! This guy is freaking DELUSIONAL. What kind of society have we become to go on the internet & listen to fools like this one? Jeez Louise.

No it isn't. What bullshit.

I don’t see many Okinawans doing sit and rise.