Development of an Incremental Sit-to-Stand Exercise for Aerobic Fitness Evaluation

Incremental sit-to-stand exercise (ISTS) is an incremental exercise test using external signals to control the sit-to-stand rate in a given time frame. This study aimed to investigate the concurrent validity and reproducibility of the ISTS in aerobic fitness evaluation among healthy elderly women. Sixteen elderly women performed the ISTS and cycle ergometer test at 3-day to 2-week intervals, and six of the participants performed the ISTS twice. Peak oxygen uptake (VO₂), peak heart rate and completion time on the ISTS and cycle ergometer test were determined. Measured peak VO₂ on the cycle ergometer test was significantly related to the peak VO₂ (r=0.80, P<0.05) and the completion time (r=0.65, P<0.05) on the ISTS. The intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.96 for peak VO₂ values and 0.91 for the completion time values during the two ISTSs. In conclusion, the ISTS is a valid, reproducible and safe test for aerobic fitness evaluation in healthy elderly women.