Autumn Qi Chats | Week 10

autumnfloor training
Written By Angi McClure

Can you get back up?

There are many functional tests that indicate how we are aging in our bodies. Today, let’s discuss your performance in the FST.

Floor to Stand Transfter

Getting up from the floor after a tumble is a crucial skill for staying independent. If you can't do it, it might mean you're not as mobile as you used to be. That's where the Floor to Stand Transfer (FST) test comes in! It's a quick and easy test that checks if you can get up and down from the floor safely, using any method you like. No rush, no pressure.

How to do the test

  • Start standing and give yourself 10 points.

  • Sit on the floor crosslegged.

  • Stand back up.

  • Subtract a point every time you use your hand, knee, forearm, or side of your leg to help.

  • If you can sit and stand with no assistance, you scored a perfect 10. If you could not get up at all, your score is zero.

But what makes this test so interesting is because we never get the chance to SIT on the floor regularly so most of us are out of practice.

 

You are where you sit.

 

Our homes have been designed so you NEVER have you get down on the floor. And yet, of all places, our home should be the MOST inviting place for getting down. You have hear me speak of the SAID principle (specific adaptation to imposed demand) which means ‘if you do it a lot, you’re going to get very good at it.’ For the good, bad or the ugly, your habit will literally shape how you move. This should motivate you to make your home more inviting for floor time!

Let’s get creative about floor time. You don’t have to just settle for plopping down on the ground and giving yourself a 3 minute permission to ‘sit’. Nay! This opportunity is for exploring the many ways your body is meant to move and engage with the floor. Try cushions (big and small), blocks, wobble boards, round shapes, square. How do you sit on something soft versus hard? Lower to the ground. Higher off the ground. Move your legs into a criss-cross position or straight. Kneel. Sit on your heels. What’s your intention while on the floor? Eating, reading, meditating, talking on the phone? How do you want to sit?

 

Neuro-Qi Tip o’the day!

Get down & get funky!

  • EXERCISE #1: Slow to rise, slow to sit from any seated position (chair, toilet, car, etc)
    EXERCISE #2: Get down on the floor, lie down then slowly stand up using as many variations as you can to get back up. Do this for 3 minutes - 3x a week.

  • LIFESTYLE HABITS: Get rid of your chairs and get uncomfortable! You can opt to not sit on a chair while at your desk or while watching a movie. So as you get uncomfortable, you’ll naturally shift towards another floor position that will keep you moving & your brain stimulate.

  • MINDSET: If I don’t use it, I’ll lose it. Find ways to get dressed without being seated (as long as it’s a safe option). Check in with how you put your socks & shoes on - stop sitting for this. Lean up against a wall!

*Video posts every Friday by 11:30am MDT

Resources:
https://journals.lww.com/jgpt/Fulltext/2019/07000/Reliability_and_Validity_of_the_Floor_Transfer.5.aspx
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09593980490887993
https://ahc.aurorahealthcare.org/fywb/x14019.pdf

Angi McClure
Previous

Autumn Qi Chats | Week 11
Next

Autumn Qi Chats | Week 9