Remember those fitness tests from elementary school? They didn’t seem to be of much use then. After all, how often did you find yourself needing to do a jumping jack or sit-up in the middle of the school day? 

For most of us, being fit is fundamentally about being able to function. Everyday feats of strength, balance, and endurance—such as getting up off the couch, climbing stairs, and playing hide and seek with the grandkids—aren’t just great goals. They’re important markers of overall fitness.  

Your physician should be gauging your functional fitness by checking to be sure that nothing is interfering with your normal activities, or your ability to do what you used to do. 

Gauge your fitness—and shore up your weak spots—with these six expert-approved tests.   

Perform these six at-home tests to identify weak spots before they hinder day-to-day life. They also help reveal your greatest areas of strength. Write down your results, repeat every six to eight weeks, and chart your progress.  

If you are unable to do these tests safely at home, don’t ignore the issue. Talk to your doctor so you can better understand what you can do to get stronger. 

Fitness Test #1: Sit to Stand 

Sit on a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart and your arms crossed in front of your chest. From here, press through your heels to stand up. Count how many times you can stand up and sit back down in 30 seconds. 

Results? The average adult, ages 60 to 79, should be able to perform 10 to 19 reps. 

Improve your results: Perform leg-strengthening exercises such as squats, lunges, and glute bridges. Focus on mastering good form first, then increase your reps. The sit-to-stand test also doubles as a great lower-body strengthener. 

Fitness Test #2: Arm Curl 

Sit on a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell down at your side in your dominant hand, palm facing your body. (Women should use a five-pound dumbbell, and men an eight-pound dumbbell.) Keeping your upper arm stationary, curl the weight up to your shoulder, rotating your palm to face your shoulder as you do so. Count how many times you curl up and lower the weight back down in 30 seconds. 

Results? The average adult, ages 60 to 79, should be able to perform 11 to 22 reps. 

Improve your results: If your upper-body strength needs improvement, turn to compound pulling and pushing exercises such as resistance band rows and presses. Simple lifestyle swaps—such as carrying your groceries in a basket rather than pushing a cart—can help as well. 

Fitness Test #3: Chair Sit and Reach 

Sit on a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart. Extend one leg straight out in front of you, toes pointed toward the ceiling. The opposite foot should remain flat on the floor. With one hand on top of the other—and your back straight—reach as far toward your toes as you comfortably can, making sure not to bounce to go deeper into the stretch. Hold the farthest position for two seconds. Perform the test twice on both sides, and record your best reach result for each leg. 

Results? The average adult, ages 60 to 79, should be able to reach within four inches of the toes to five inches past them, no matter which leg is forward. 

Improve your results: To increase your mobility, perform strengthening exercises through a full range of motion. Focus on slowing the “lowering” or “easy” part of each exercise.  

Fitness Test #4: Back Scratch 

Stand tall and reach one hand over your shoulder and down the middle of your back as far as possible, your palm against your back. Reach your other hand around your side and up the middle of your back as far as possible, the back of your hand against your back. Without causing pain, try to bring your hands as close as possible to each other. 

Results? The average adult, ages 60 to 79, should be able to get both hands within nine inches of each other. Women tend to be able to get their hands closer than men can. 

Improve your results: To increase mobility in your shoulders, perform shoulder presses as well as front, side, and rear shoulder raises. Wall slides are another great move for opening the shoulders. Stand with your back against a wall, your arms against the wall like goalposts. From here, keeping your arms and back against the wall, slowly slide your arms as high as possible and then back down. 

Fitness Test #5: Stand Up and Go 

Sit on a sturdy chair with your feet hip-width apart and your hands resting on your knees. From here, time how long you take to stand up, walk for eight feet, turn around, and return to your seat. Perform the test twice and record the best result. 

Results? The average adult, ages 60 to 79, should be able to finish the test in 3.8 to 7.4 seconds. 

Improve your results: This test evaluates agility, which is a combination of speed and strength. To improve yours, make sure that your workouts contain both muscle-strengthening and aerobic components. Good forms of aerobic exercise include walking, swimming, cycling, and group fitness classes. 

Fitness Test #6: March in Place 

March in place for two minutes, bringing your knees to mid-thigh level with each move. You can put a piece of tape on the wall next to you to mark how high you should raise your knees. Count how many times your right knee hits the mark within the two-minute period. 

Results? The average adult, ages 60 to 79, should be able to perform 68 to 115 marches per side. 

Improve your results: For healthy aerobic endurance and functional capacity, research suggests that healthy older adults should take between 7,000 and 8,000 steps per day.  

Seniors or those with limited time or mobility can start to get moving with these, 10-minute indoor walking routines. These sessions can be done at home with minimal space and no equipment. A typical routine includes: 

  • March in Place: Lift knees gently while pumping arms to increase circulation and warm up the body. 
  • Side Steps: Step side-to-side to strengthen inner and outer thighs and improve balance. 
  • High Knees: Lift knees higher while marching to boost cardiovascular health and leg strength. 
  • Arm Circles: Extend arms and make small circles to enhance shoulder mobility and flexibility. 
  • Heel-to-Toe Walks: Walk in place placing heel to toe to improve coordination and stability.
     

These movement exercises can be repeated or combined for a full 10-minute session, and they are gentle on joints while promoting overall vitality. Add to your routine as you gain strength.