How to Get Up From the Floor: 4 Techniques

By: Leslie Mento, PT, DPT, GCS, CEEAA

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Floor Transfer Technique

Whether you’re playing with your grandchildren, working in the garden, or reaching for something under the couch, getting down on the floor is part of everyday life. But how easily can you get back up?

Getting up from the floor requires strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination. These abilities help us stay active and independent as we age and, with practice, they can improve.

Four Ways to Get Up From the Floor

There’s no single right way to get up from the floor. The best approach depends on your strength, mobility, and comfort level.

In the video below, Leslie demonstrates four different floor-transfer techniques to help you move from the floor to a standing position.

Option 1:

  • Roll onto your side
  • Use your arms to push your upper body up
  • Roll onto your knees so that you are in a tabletop position on all fours
  • Bring one foot forward
  • If needed, hold onto an elevated surface such as a chair with one hand
  • Power up through your front leg

Option 2:

  • Starting on your back, bring your hands toward your head then throw them forward squeezing your core to sit up
  • Tuck one leg under the other, lean forward, and roll onto both knees
  • Bring one foot forward, then power up through the standing leg

Option 3:

  • Starting on your back, roll onto your stomach
  • Put both hands on the floor chest-width apart in a push-up position
  • Push your upper body up so that you are in a tabletop position on all fours
  • Use your hands to walk your upper body backward to your knees
  • Power up with your legs using your hands on the ground as a forward brace

Option 4:

  • Starting on your back, swing your arms up by your sides and swing your legs with knees bent toward your stomach so that your hips lift slightly off the ground
  • Using the momentum of your roll, punch your arms forward and plant your feet firmly on the ground
  • Power up with your legs, engaging your core for stability

Building Confidence, One Movement at a Time

Some techniques may feel easier than others. Using a sturdy piece of furniture for support can help make floor transfers safer and more manageable. The goal isn’t speed or getting up without your hands, but finding a controlled approach that works for you.

If you have difficulty getting down to or up from the floor, or feel unsteady, consider practicing with guidance from a physical therapist.

With practice, building confidence in floor transfers can help you stay active, independent, and engaged in daily life.

At Sheltering Arms Institute, our physical therapists create personalized treatment plans to help improve strength, balance, and mobility.

Ready to move with greater confidence? Learn more about our physical therapy services, or contact us to request an appointment and explore how we can help.

Related Reading

Floor Transfers: Why They’re Important

References

  1. Brito LB, Ricardo DR, Araújo DS, Ramos PS, Myers J, Araújo CG. Ability to sit and rise from the floor as a predictor of all-cause mortality. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2014 Jul;21(7):892-8. doi: 10.1177/2047487312471759. Epub 2012 Dec 13. PMID: 23242910.
  2. Hofmeyer, M. R., Alexander, N. B., Nyquist, L. V., Medell, J. L., & Koreishi, A. (2002). Floor‐rise strategy training in older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 50(10), 1702-1706.
  3. Murphy, M. A., Olson, S. L., Protas, E. J., & Overby, A. R. (2003). Screening for Falls in Community-Dwelling Elderly. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 11(1), 66-80. Retrieved Mar 17, 2025, from https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.11.1.66
  4. Thomas, E., Battaglia, G., Patti, A., Brusa, J., Leonardi, V., Palma, A., & Bellafiore, M. (2019). Physical activity programs for balance and fall prevention in elderly: A systematic review. Medicine, 98(27), e16218. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000016218

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