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As we get older, the act of standing up from a sitting or lying down position becomes more difficult.
“Standing requires both leg strength and power,” says Rachel Prusynski, an assistant professor of physical therapy at the University of Washington and a spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association. “Everyone gets weaker as we age because our muscles start to lose mass, especially the large muscles in our legs that we use to stand.”
Getting up also requires balance, coordination, flexibility and aerobic capacity, which can decline over the years.
All of this can increase the difficulty of many daily activities, including getting out of bed or up from the couch. If you’re having trouble, consider the steps below.
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These strategies can help you stand, and some may help you better perform strengthening exercises.
- Opt for firm seats. They’re easier to get out of than those that are cushier. To firm up a soft seat, an easy fix is to place something like a piece of plywood underneath the cushions.
- Raise your chair. With a higher seat, you won’t have to rise as far to stand. If you don’t have an adjustable-height chair or a supportive bar-stool-style chair, you can buy furniture risers. These hard plastic items attach to the legs of chairs, sofas and beds to raise them. You might also want a raised toilet seat.
- Position yourself right. Before standing up, slide to the edge of your seat. Place your feet flat on the floor and slightly behind your knees, shoulder-width apart. Then lean your torso forward to help propel you up to standing. Lying down? Roll onto your side and use your arms to push up to a seated position.
- Use assistive devices if needed. A regular cane or walker can tip or slip if you use it to help you stand. Devices called couch canes and bed canes shouldn’t. Similar tools, often called safety rails, can help you get up from a toilet. Chair assists, which are cushion-like items you can place on a seat, use hydraulics or springs to boost you up.
- Know when to talk to your doctor. If difficulty standing interferes with everyday tasks or activities you enjoy, or you fall while you’re trying to stand or sit, tell your doctor. Do the same if you see no improvement after doing the sit-and-stand exercises described below regularly for a few weeks. Your doctor can determine whether you’re dealing with a condition such as arthritis or neuropathy. In some cases, a physician may prescribe physical therapy to help you improve your ability to stand up.
For standing, you use your back and abdominal muscles and those that run from your calves and thighs up to your glutes.
To strengthen them, “there’s nothing better than just getting out of a chair,” says Neil Alexander, a professor of geriatric and palliative medicine at the University of Michigan. So practice sitting down in and getting up from a chair six to eight times at least two to three times a day. You should see improvement in a few weeks.
The following can help you even more.
- Stand up without using chair armrests. If you feel unstable, lightly touch the armrests with your fingertips.
- Pause on your way up. Each time you’re ready to stand, stop briefly midway. This uses your muscles instead of momentum to get up.
- Lower yourself slowly. “Sit down gently like a hen onto a nest full of eggs,” Prusynski says. This also engages your muscles.
- Swap seats. Stand up from lower and softer surfaces, which requires more strength.
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FAQs
Position yourself right.
Place your feet flat on the floor and slightly behind your knees, shoulder-width apart. Then lean your torso forward to help propel you up to standing. Lying down? Roll onto your side and use your arms to push up to a seated position.
How can I improve my ability to stand up? ›
Exercise can help
Strengthen your gluteal muscles by doing leg lifts, repeatedly raising your leg behind you up toward the ceiling. Or strengthen both the quads and glutes at the same time by doing sit-to-stands (see "Move of the month"), which involve standing up and sitting down 10 times.
Is standing exercise effective? ›
They Boost Your Performance for Other Workouts
In addition to supporting functional movements, standing core exercises often mimic strength training moves (think: squats and deadlifts, among others). According to Rebecca, they're especially beneficial for lifting weights.
Does standing count as exercise? ›
“Standing for a long period of time can be physically demanding and may contribute to increased energy expenditure compared to sitting or sedentary activities; however, it is generally not considered a formal workout in the traditional sense," she says.
Why does it get harder to stand up? ›
“Everyone gets weaker as we age because our muscles start to lose mass, especially the large muscles in our legs that we use to stand.” Getting up also requires balance, coordination, flexibility, and aerobic capacity, which can decline over the years.
Is standing really better for you? ›
Besides less sitting time, standing at work has other benefits: More calories burned: One study showed that standing sheds 88 calories an hour, compared to 80 calories for sitting. Walking burns a lot more -- 210 calories an hour.
How to strengthen legs for seniors? ›
Top 10 Leg Exercise for Seniors
- Seated Leg Extensions. Seated leg extensions are perfect for beginners and can be done anywhere. ...
- Ankle Circles. Ankle circles improve flexibility and circulation, reducing the risk of injuries and falls. ...
- Chair Squats. ...
- Standing Knee Lifts. ...
- Calf Raises. ...
- Side Leg Raises. ...
- Toe Taps. ...
- Leg Curls.
4 Most Useful Exercises to Help Getting Up from a Chair
- Glute Bridge. This is a great exercise for strengthening the muscles in your lower body—especially the glutes and hamstrings, which are the two most important muscle groups for standing up. ...
- Straight Leg Raise. ...
- Side-Lying Hip Abduction. ...
- Supported Mini Squats.
It strengthens leg muscles and improves balance. It burns more calories than sitting. It is also a great antidote to the formation of blood clots deep in the legs. When you sit for long periods, blood flow slows through the legs.
Can standing all day reduce belly fat? ›
Simply standing for 6 hours per day instead of sitting down can help you to lose weight, research suggests.
Ditching your office chair for the FlexiSpot Standing Desk E7 Pro or some other high-quality standing desk will help eliminate some of the problems of sitting in a desk chair all day. But remember, standing isn't actual exercise, doesn't burn many more calories than sitting, and won't really build muscle.
Is it better to stand or walk? ›
While sitting, study subjects burned 80 calories/hour — about the same as typing or watching TV. While standing, the number of calories burned was only slightly higher than while sitting — about 88 calories/hour. Walking burned 210 calories/hour.
What does standing up all day do to your body? ›
The Effect of Standing All Day
As time elapses (in a standing position) this compresses the spine, pushes organs downward, and contributes to poor circulation. You may have already realized that your legs and feet can become swollen and tired after a long day of standing, or your back may begin to hurt.
Is standing all day bad for your knees? ›
Indeed, studies show prolonged standing not only stresses your legs, knees and lower back, it can also lead to varicose veins, joint damage and circulation issues. While you need to be on your feet to teach, you can incorporate strategies to ease the strain.
What is the best exercise for standing all day? ›
Functional Fitness Exercises for Standing
- Single Arm Farmer's Carry. (2 laps each arm) Walk a lap around the gym holding a kettlebell to your side. ...
- Overhead Walking Lunges. (50 lunges each leg) ...
- Two Point Rows. (50 rows each arm) ...
- Single Leg Bench Squats. (50 squats each leg) ...
- Dumbbell Overhead Press. (50 presses each arm)
Researchers think it's because standing exercises muscles in your abdomen, butt and legs that are necessary to keep you upright for an extended period.
