Can You Get Up from the Floor By Yourself? Take the Strength Test That Actually Matters

You don’t need to love the gym.

You don’t even need to love exercise.

But you do need to be able to move through your life—with strength, confidence, and ease.

And that’s where the “Can You Lift It?” Test comes in. No machines. No gym membership.

Just you and your everyday body.

It’s simple. It’s real. It’s eye-opening.

Here’s the Test:

✅ Can you lift a gallon of water with one arm?

✅ Can you stand up from a chair without using your hands?

✅ Can you sit down on the floor—and get back up by yourself?

If you paused, laughed nervously, or silently said “absolutely not”—you’re not alone.

These are called functional strength markers, and they matter a lot more than whether or not you can run a mile or do a squat at the gym.

Because being strong enough to do these things means:

🧡 You can carry groceries without struggling.

🧡 You can stand up safely if you fall.

🧡 You can keep up with your grandkids, garden, dance, travel, and just enjoy life on your terms. And when those movements get harder, life starts to shrink. You avoid things. You say “no” more than “yes.”

But here’s the beautiful truth...

It's Not Your Age—It's Your Muscles

Starting in your 30s (yes, really), your body naturally begins losing muscle mass if you’re not training it. This process is called sarcopenia, and it can lead to:

🛑 Slower metabolism

🛑 Poor balance

🛑 Joint pain

🛑 Fatigue

🛑 A greater risk of falls and fractures

🛑 Loss of independence

By the time we’re 50 or 60, many people have lost up to 20–30% of their muscle mass. And

that muscle loss directly affects how well you can move, bend, carry, lift, and recover from

stumbles.

💥 But muscle loss is not inevitable. It’s reversible. It’s trainable. And building strength doesn’t mean turning into a bodybuilder or spending hours in the gym. It means training for your life—not a finish line or a fitness magazine cover.

Strength Is the Foundation of Independence

Let’s take a closer look at the test again:

🟡 Can you lift a gallon of water with one arm?

That’s about 8 pounds. And if you’ve ever carried a laundry basket, grocery bag, watering can, or even a handbag full of “just in case” stuff... you know this is a daily task.

🟡 Can you stand up from a chair without using your arms?

That’s your leg strength and your core working together. It also shows how your joints are holding up. Difficulty here often leads to avoidance of stairs, long walks, or activities you once enjoyed.

🟡 Can you sit on the floor—and get back up by yourself?

This one’s big. It combines strength, flexibility, coordination, and confidence. Research shows that people who can sit and stand from the floor with ease tend to have greater mobility, lower fall risk, and better longevity than those who cannot.

This isn’t just about physical ability—it’s about quality of life.

You Don’t Need to “Work Out”—You Just Need to Start Moving

This is the part I love helping with: you don’t need a gym. You don’t need weights. You don’t

need to be fit already.

What you do need is:

✔ Simple, doable movements

✔ A way to build confidence in your body again

✔ A plan that doesn’t overwhelm or shame you

✔ Encouragement that meets you where you are

That’s it. That’s the recipe.

Want Help Getting Stronger (Without Hating Every Second)?

I’ve got you.

If you're reading this and thinking,

“I want to feel stronger, but I don’t even know where to begin,”

start here:

👉🏻 Reply to this post or email me and I’ll send you my brand new freebie:

📘“It’s Not Your Age—It’s Your Muscles: The Lifesaving Strength Guide for Exercise-Haters Over 50”

Inside, you’ll get:

🔸 Simple exercises that build real-world strength

🔸 Zero shame, zero fluff—just clear steps

🔸 Encouragement made for people who don’t love exercise

🔸 Progressions for beginners, returning exercisers, or anyone who just feels stiff, unsteady, or unsure

No gym. No pressure. Just small actions that add up to a much bigger life.

You Are Not Broken. You Are Just Untrained.

And that’s something we can change.

✨ You deserve a body that supports your lifestyle.

✨ You deserve to move through your day with ease.

✨ You deserve to feel confident saying “Yes, I can do that.”

Muscle is the medicine. Strength is the solution.

And aging doesn’t mean giving up—it means getting intentional about what matters.

💪🏻 You’ve got this.

I’ve got you.

Be strong, be healthy, be vibrantly happy,

—Erica (aka E)

Strength Coach for Exercise-Haters. Independence Advocate. Your Newest Hype Woman.