Having difficulty rising from a chair may signal higher risks of osteoarthritis and a lower quality of life in the coming years.
A recent study published in Calcified Tissue International, found that those who reported difficulty getting up from a chair faced a 26 percent higher risk of developing osteoarthritis, a 47 percent higher risk of poor quality of life, and a 28 percent higher risk of elevated depressive symptoms.
“Difficulty rising from a chair can serve as an early signal of declining physical and mental health. Recognizing this sign early gives people an opportunity to take simple steps that may help prevent more serious problems later in life,” M. Azhar Hussain, the lead author, told The Epoch Times.
Notably, the adjusted figures from the study are likely conservative estimates due to controlling for baseline health status, and people with chair-rise difficulties were more likely to drop out or pass away before follow-ups.
The Health Implications of Chair-Rise Difficulty
Researchers surveyed 52,541 adults aged 50 and older across 15 European countries. Those who answered “yes” to a simple question in the SHARE survey, such as, “Have you had persistent (lasting more than three months) difficulty getting up from a chair after sitting for a long time?” were implicated in several health conditions.
“Difficulty rising from a chair reflects reduced leg strength, poor balance, and joint dysfunction,” Hussain said.
As part of natural aging, we lose muscle mass and strength in the upper and lower legs, hips and glutes, lower back, and abdomen—muscles that help us stand up and stabilize the body during the sit-to-stand motion.
Many people walk and sit for most of their days, which does not adequately train the muscles needed to rise, especially with sedentary lifestyles and a lack of resistance training.
Meanwhile, standing up from a chair requires more than just brute muscle force—it also depends on balance and control, which allow us to command the muscles, perceive our body’s position relative to our surroundings, time movements properly, and shift weight safely to stand without falling.
As muscle strength, balance, and control decline, daily activities such as rising from a chair can become increasingly difficult, making people more prone to falls, injuries, and reduced independence.
“These limitations can directly worsen joint stress and pain, helping explain the link with osteoarthritis, especially in the knees and hips,” Hussain said. “Over time, the combination of physical discomfort and reduced autonomy can affect both mental well-being and overall life satisfaction.”
How Depression and Physical Health Influence Each Other
“The relationship between function and mental health is reciprocal—one impacts the other,” Peter Lichtenberg, a distinguished professor of psychology and gerontology at Wayne State University, told The Epoch Times. “Physical, mental health, and cognitive abilities are often linked.”
Studies show that depression symptoms and poor physical health—such as physical limitations and chronic illnesses—often reinforce each other in a negative feedback loop.
Take “chair rising” as an example: “Struggling with a basic task [chair rising] can also reduce confidence, restrict social participation, and increase feelings of dependency, which may contribute to depressive symptoms,” Hussain said.
Depression, on the other hand, can lower motivation for self-care and regular exercise, while triggering emotional coping mechanisms such as binge eating, negatively impacting physical health.
Additionally, depression shares common neuro-chemical pathways with pain, and is often accompanied by headaches, backaches, stomach aches, joint aches, and muscle aches.
When neglected, depression may worsen osteoarthritis and lower the quality of life.
Certain Groups Are Particularly Vulnerable
Certain groups, according to Hussain, appeared to be more vulnerable than others.
“Older adults, particularly those aged 70 and above, were the most vulnerable, as chair‑rise difficulty increased sharply with age and was more strongly linked to later health problems,” he said. Women, on the other hand, were more likely to develop depressive symptoms and poorer quality of life.
Additionally, “people with low physical activity, higher body weight, or multiple existing health conditions were more affected once chair‑rise difficulty appeared,” he said. Compared to genetics, lifestyle factors tend to play a bigger role—especially prolonged sitting and little movement.
Notice Early, Act Early
“Chair rising difficulty is a risk factor that something is wrong now, but left unchecked will increase risk for a variety of negative health and mental health outcomes,” Lichtenberg said.
Noticing physical decline early through a simple task, such as standing from a chair, gives people a chance to act in time and help prevent more serious issues from arising.
“Most of the higher risks we observed, such as poorer quality of life, depressive symptoms, and osteoarthritis, tended to emerge within roughly 2 to 6 years after the difficulty was first reported rather than immediately,” Hussain said.
“This [Chair-rise] difficulty is among the most reversible,” Lichtenberg said. “Even those who do not exercise can gain considerable gains in strength and balance when they engage in strength or balance training—it is never too late to gain function.”
One review, based on multiple randomized controlled trials, found that progressive resistance exercise improves muscle strength, enhances everyday function, and meaningfully reduces pain in older adults with osteoarthritis.
For people who are already experiencing early signs such as chair-rise difficulty, Hussain and Lichtenberg suggested taking the following simple steps to prevent further decline: build a routine that includes strength and balance exercises, such as yoga; stay active; reduce prolonged sitting and move around more; maintain a healthy weight; join a supportive exercise program; and address existing medical conditions with a healthcare provider.
“Paying attention to simple changes in everyday physical tasks can provide valuable insight into overall health,” Hussain said. “Small difficulties, like standing up from a chair, are easy to overlook but can offer an early opportunity to act, stay active, and maintain long‑term independence and well‑being.”
Lichtenberg encourages older adults to “engage with aging.”