Human study · Exercise · 9 Nov 2026
In 172 older adults aged 70 or older, sensor patterns during five chair rises separated strength and walking scores that a stopwatch lumped together
Source: JMIR Aging
What the research found
An observational study was published on 9 November 2026. Anna Schumacher, Ole Meyer, and colleagues followed 172 community-dwelling older adults aged 70 or older (mean age 76.9 years, standard deviation 3.40; 96 of 172, 56 percent, were women). A force plate and a depth camera recorded five chair rises. Clustering of the force signal found two patterns. One cluster rose faster and needed less stabilization force. The other was slower and needed more. Across baseline, 6 months, and 24 months, the faster cluster had higher strength, more leg power, faster mobility, higher gait speed, and a longer 6-minute walking distance (all P < 0.01). At 24 months the clusters still differed on the timed up-and-go, chair-rise time, gait speed, walking distance, and a short performance battery. A stopwatch had scored most people as high functioning. The abstract does not give the size of each cluster. DOI 10.2196/94597. Not medical advice.
Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.
More exercise news
- In 15 elite women volleyball players, 6 mg/kg caffeinated gum was tied to a smaller drop in block-jump power after exercise fatigue
- In 22 men ages 18 to 25, one cup of arabica or chicory coffee did not change a shuttle-run exercise score
- In 80 adults with knee osteoarthritis, 12 weeks of remote resistance-band work after one injection improved function, and not pain scores
- In 41 young adults and 42 older adults, gravity-related arm planning stayed intact, with less left-right difference
- In 76 pregnant women, physical activity did not differ by trimester