Floor Transfers: Why They’re Important

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

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Think about your favorite athlete. Visualize the wonderful ways they can control their body to perform seemingly impossible feats. While everyday people like you and me may not be able to perform like top-tier athletes, an equivalent level of mastery may be the ability to get down and up from the floor with ease. The significance of this becomes increasingly evident as we age.

Floor transfers, or the ability to get down and rise from the floor without assistance, are an indicator of an individual’s functional independence, quality of life, and a predictor of longevity and overall health. This seemingly simple movement represents a complex integration of strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination that is closely linked to one’s overall functional mobility.

Indicator of Longevity and Health

Research has demonstrated a strong correlation between the ability to sit and stand up from the floor without support and increased longevity. The ability to perform floor transfers suggests that individuals who can perform it are less likely to face mobility-related health issues. Maintaining this capability reduces the risk of being confined to a bed or becoming unable to care for oneself, thereby enhancing quality of life. One study has shown that improved ability to perform a floor transfer can reduce mortality risk by as much as 21%.1

Mechanisms Behind the Correlation

Several physiological and functional factors explain why floor transfer ability correlates with longevity:

  1. Musculoskeletal Health: Floor transfer requires adequate upper body, lower body, and core muscle strength, including the triceps, quadriceps, and hamstrings. Muscle mass and strength are well-established predictors of longevity, with sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) linked to higher mortality rates. 2
  2. Balance: The complex movement patterns involved in rising from the floor demand intact balance systems. These systems deteriorate with age but can be maintained through balance training or regular practice of functional movements, such as a floor transfer.3
  3. Fall Recovery: Individuals who can confidently rise from the floor have both the physical capacity to potentially avoid falls and the ability to recover independently if a fall occurs—reducing the risk of long-term complications from extended floor time (“long lies”) after falling.4
  4. Cardiorespiratory Fitness: The cardiovascular demand of floor transfers, especially for frail individuals, aligns with overall cardiorespiratory fitness, which is consistently associated with reduced all-cause mortality.5

Improved Mobility and Independence

The ability to rise from the floor is beneficial not only to improve future outcomes but also to enhance well-being in the present. The skill to get down and up from the floor can lead to better overall mobility, allowing individuals to perform daily tasks with ease and maintain an active lifestyle. The resulting independence is essential for mental and emotional well-being, as it fosters a sense of autonomy and confidence.

Building Confidence and Reducing Fear of Falling

Lastly, safe performance of a floor transfer can alleviate the fear of falling, a common concern that often leads to decreased physical activity. Feeling empowered with this skill can enhance confidence and encourage a more active lifestyle.

Floor Transfer Training

Regular practice of a floor transfer is beneficial and improves functional mobility as it represents a multi-dimensional physical task that simultaneously addresses many components of fitness associated with healthy aging and longevity.6

If you are unsure where to start or have physical impairments that make a floor transfer seem daunting, it is recommended that you see a physical therapist. If you’d like to schedule an evaluation with one of our expert physical therapists, contact us online or call (804) 764-1000.

Resources

  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. Xu, J., Wan, C. S., Ktoris, K., Reijnierse, E. M., & Maier, A. B. (2022). Sarcopenia Is Associated with Mortality in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Gerontology, 68(4), 361–376. https://doi.org/10.1159/000517099
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. Kodama S, Saito K, Tanaka S, et al. Cardiorespiratory Fitness as a Quantitative Predictor of All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Events in Healthy Men and Women: A Meta-analysis. 2009;301(19):2024–2035. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.681
  6. 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.

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