Why Older Adults Should Practice Sit-to-Stand Exercises Daily

Health & Fitness
12 Jun 2026 • 3:30 PM MYT
Mirhaa05
Mirhaa05

Write about what I’m learning and what I’m still trying to figure out.

Image from: Why Older Adults Should Practice Sit-to-Stand Exercises Daily
Photo by Aparna Johri on Unsplash

Many individuals are unaware that standing up and sitting down can be beneficial forms of exercise, particularly for senior citizens. The lower limb muscles, such as the thighs, hips, and calves, are strengthened and activated by the sit-to-stand exercise. Improving this movement can make daily tasks safer and easier because it is performed on a regular basis.

Maintaining lower limb strength is crucial for mobility and independence in older people. Sit-to-stand workouts help enhance muscle endurance, balance, and coordination. Additionally, it helps older folks move around the house more confidently and with less aid when doing daily tasks like getting out of a chair or using the restroom.

Another benefit of the sit-to-stand exercise is that it requires no special equipment and can be done almost anywhere. With proper supervision and technique, it can be a safe and effective way to stay physically active. Consistently performing this simple exercise may help reduce the risk of falls, enhance functional ability, and contribute to a healthier and more active lifestyle in later years.

The sit-to-stand exercise, also known as a chair rise, involves transitioning from sitting to standing without using hand assistance. This exercise enhances strength and balance, benefiting those recovering from surgeries impacting mobility, such as knee or hip replacements, and aims to increase core, thigh, hip, and glute strength. Muscles targeted include the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, erector spinae, and calves, which help maintain stability during activities. Benefits include improved everyday functionality, better balance, increased mobility, enhanced muscular endurance, and easier recovery from hip or knee injuries. Dylan Peterson, PT, DPT Physical Therapist and Clinical Reviewer

According to a Meera Murugesan news article from News Straits Times, maintaining an active lifestyle is essential for older individuals' independence and well-being. Strength, cardio, and flexibility exercises are all part of combined training, which works well to promote healthier aging. This approach improves muscle strength, heart health, and resilience by combining resistance training with cardiovascular and flexibility exercises. Regular aerobic exercise can reduce the risk of cardiovascular illnesses, which are common in Malaysia due to sedentary lifestyles. Flexibility exercises preserve mobility, while strength training improves muscle and balance to help prevent falls. All things considered, a lively existence requires physical exercise, demonstrating that aging does not require a decline in activity. The advantages of incorporating movement into daily life to maintain independence and social involvement are demonstrated by examples from Okinawa. https://www.nst.com.my/lifestyle/heal/2025/01/1164578/health-combined-training-healthy-ageing#google_vignette


Mirhaa05 (hemirhaphysio@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!

The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.