Assessment of Functional Fitness Lab
EXSC430 Exercise for Special Populations
Functional fitness may be defined as the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). In
senior adults such activities include taking care of oneself (bathing, dressing, cooking), walking,
climbing stairs, and doing household chores. There are six assessments of functional fitness
described in the Senior Fitness Test Kit (Rikli & Jones, 2006). These assessments are listed
below in Table 1, as well as an additional test for static balance (single leg balance test).
Table 1. Assessments of Functional Fitness
Assessment
Component of Fitness
Relationship to ADLs
Chair stand test
Lower body strength
Rise from a chair, bed, or toilet
Arm curl test
Upper body strength
Chair sit and reach test
Lower body flexibility
Lift an object from a table, shelf, or
counter top
Walking ability, stride length
Back scratch test
Upper body flexibility
Dressing, bathing
8-foot up and go test
Agility, dynamic balance
Step in place test
Cardiovascular endurance
Ability to rise from a chair and maintain
balance while walking around objects
Walking distances
Single leg balance test
Static balance
Recover from a stumble
The purpose of this lab is to learn how to assess functional fitness specific to senior adults.
Students should form groups of three and rotate through the seven stations. Ten minutes will be
allotted for each station. Over which time, each student should complete the test, record the
score on the data worksheet, and compare to the norms.
Prior to starting this lab everyone should do a 5-10 min general warm-up of cardiovascular
exercise (walking laps around the halls or riding on a cycle ergometer).
Station 1: Chair Stand Test
1. Equipment
a) Straight back chair (17 in high) without arm rests, placed against a wall for safety
b) Stop watch or timer
2. Procedures
a) Have the subject sit in the middle of the chair with feet flat on the floor, shoulder
width apart. Arms should be crossed and held up against the chest.
b) Instruct the subject stand up completely, then return to a seated position. Have the
subject repeat this for 30 seconds.
c) Count the number of complete stands (up and down equals one stand) over the 30second test period.
3. Scoring norms: refer to Table 2 below.
Table 2. Norms for the Chair Stand Test (repetitions)
Age
60-64 yr
65-69 yr
70-74 yr
75-79 yr
80-84 yr
85-89 yr
90-94 yr
Below Ave
< 14
< 12
< 12
< 11
< 10

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