Senior Fitness Test (SFT)

The Senior Fitness Test (also called the Fullerton Functional Fitness Test) is a validated battery of 7 physical performance tests designed for community-dwelling older adults aged 60-94. Norms below are from Rikli & Jones (n=7,183 across 267 sites in 21 US states).

Authors
Roberta E. Rikli & C. Jessie Jones
Original study
Rikli & Jones 1999
Norms source
Senior Fitness Test Manual, 2nd ed. (2013, Human Kinetics, ISBN 978-1-4504-1118-9)
Sample
n = 7,183 community-dwelling adults aged 60-94
Age brackets
5-year intervals: 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, 90-94
Percentiles
P5, P25, P50, P75, P95 by sex and age group
Senior Fitness Test Manual, 2nd edition, book cover
Senior Fitness Test Manual Rikli & Jones, 2nd ed. (2013, Human Kinetics). The definitive guide to SFT protocols, scoring, and interpretation, includes the normative data used on this page.
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Purpose

The SFT was developed to provide a simple, safe, and practical way to assess the key physical parameters associated with functional mobility in older adults. It targets the fitness components most relevant to everyday tasks: strength, endurance, flexibility, and agility/balance. Each test can be administered in a community setting without specialised equipment.

The 7 Tests

TestMeasuresUnit
30-Second Chair Stand Lower-body strength reps
Arm Curl Upper-body strength reps
6-Minute Walk Test Aerobic endurance yards
2-Minute Step Test Aerobic endurance steps
Chair Sit-and-Reach Lower-body flexibility inches
Back Scratch Test Upper-body flexibility inches
8-Foot Up-and-Go Agility & dynamic balance seconds

Who is it for?

The SFT is designed for adults aged 60 and above who live independently in the community. It is widely used by fitness professionals, physical therapists, senior centres, and researchers to assess baseline fitness, track changes over time, and identify individuals at risk for loss of functional independence.

The test battery is not intended for institutionalised or non-ambulatory older adults. The normative data is based on a US sample of community-dwelling, ambulatory volunteers, scores may differ in other populations.

Administration

All 7 tests can be administered in approximately 30-40 minutes with minimal equipment (a chair, a stopwatch, a hand weight, a cone, and a measuring tape). The recommended test order minimises fatigue effects:

  1. Chair stand (lower-body strength)
  2. Arm curl (upper-body strength)
  3. 2-minute step test or 6-minute walk (aerobic endurance)
  4. Chair sit-and-reach (lower-body flexibility)
  5. Back scratch (upper-body flexibility)
  6. 8-foot up-and-go (agility/balance)

Functional Fitness metrics