Sit to stand is a leg and balance exercise for getting up from a chair after an injury: sit in a firm chair, stand all the way up, then lower yourself slowly back down, 10 times.
Not every exercise is for every patient. The ones meant for you carry a check mark on the home sheet your physician fills out; stick to those, morning and evening, every day, unless the sheet gives you a different schedule.
What are the steps for the sit to stand?
- Get set: Sit forward on a solid chair with both feet flat, hip-width apart.
- Move: Rise all the way to standing. Push off with your hands only when you have to. Then sit back down slowly, staying in control.
- How many: Slow and steady. Do 10.
How does the sit to stand help you recover?
It trains a motion you repeat many times a day: rising from a chair, the toilet or the seat of your car. Leg strength and balance improve together, and that cuts the odds of falling again.
If you were hurt in a fall, this exercise is part of rebuilding your footing. Read more about slip and fall injuries.
Which mistakes should you watch for?
- Letting your knees cave in toward each other.
- Plopping down into the chair.
- Leaning far out over your toes.
When should you stop and call us?
Feeling a stretch, a bit of ache, or next-day stiffness is expected and fine. Stop the exercise and call us if you notice any of these:
- Sharp or stabbing pain
- Pain that jumps 2 or more points above your usual and lasts over an hour
- New numbness, tingling or weakness
- Dizziness or a change in your vision
Call 911 right away for chest pain, fainting or trouble breathing.
Why does your exercise log matter?
Each time you finish your exercises, tick the box on your log, and jot your pain number down once a day. The log rides along to every visit. Your technician adds up your days, has you demonstrate one exercise so form can be checked, and enters that tally in the visit note, right beside the treatments.
What to remember
- Knees point over your toes.
- Lower slowly; do not drop.
- Hands only if you need them.
Show us you have it: Show us three sit to stands from the chair in the treatment room. If any part is unclear, ask us to go over it again; there is no limit on that.
Other knee exercises in the program
This page belongs to the Gateway Midwest physician-directed physiotherapy program. On Natural Bridge Road, the physician who examined you signs each order, and no treatment runs without a physician on site.
Hurt in an accident? Start here.
You do not need a lawyer, a police report or a referral to be seen. Bring your symptoms and we will work out the rest.
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Same-day appointments are often available for new accident and injury patients.