Mobility tests can tell doctors a lot about how you're aging, but there are many other factors

Mobility tests offer clues, not predictions

Hand grip strength. Balance tests. Standing up from a seated position on the floor. These physical challenges are often touted as measurements of healthy aging and even predictors of longevity, according to several reports.

They can provide valuable indications of stamina and strength. They can estimate the risk of falls, which increase older adults' risk of death. And they're useful to doctors who work to address aging or people with injuries, as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Canberra Times, and PerthNow.

But experts emphasize these tests are not a crystal ball.

"A poor or declining result is a reason for a health professional to investigate why function is changing, rather than gauging how long someone will live," said Auriel Willette, an expert on brain aging at Rutgers University, in comments carried by all three outlets.

What the tests involve

"Sit-to-stand" tests come in several forms. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 30-second chair-stand test is designed for patients older than 60, to see how many times they can stand up in that time period.

Another test, popularised on social media, asks someone to move from standing, to sitting cross-legged on the ground, and then back up to standing. Making your way down to the floor is worth five points, as is standing up, for a total score of 10. You lose a point for each support you use (such as a hand or knee) and half a point if you're unsteady. The score is zero if you're unable to sit or stand without external help.

Doctors said they haven't seen that test used with older US adults, but researchers in Brazil published studies in 2020 and 2025 concluding that middle-aged people who scored higher were less likely to die within about a decade.

Many American doctors use a test called Timed Up and Go, or TUG. It requires the patient to get up from a chair, walk 3 meters, and come back to their seat. That allows doctors to evaluate a person's balance, mobility, and lower extremity strength all at once.

Dr George Hennawi, who treats older adults at MedStar Health in Baltimore, said all the tests are meant to pinpoint specific weaknesses and narrow down their underlying cause, whether that's knee pain, slow reflexes, poor balance, or feeling winded or dizzy because of cardiovascular issues. His comments were reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Canberra Times, and PerthNow.

Limitations and context

Experts said these tests are screening tools, not enough for a full diagnosis, and they cautioned against training specifically to pass a test. Instead, they advised whole-body exercise, nutritious meals, stress management, sleep, and heart care, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and PerthNow.

Strength and mobility are one part of healthy aging; cognition, memory, hearing, and eyesight are also key, as noted by those same outlets.

Finally, experts said it's important to know the context in which a test has been studied and verified. If it's shown to predict an outcome for one age group, the performance standards won't necessarily apply to others. That observation appeared in The Canberra Times and one other report.