Opstaantijd

Opstaantijd is a Dutch term that describes the time required to move from a seated or lowered position to an upright standing position. It is used as a functional measure in fields such as ergonomics, rehabilitation, sports science, and gerontology to quantify how quickly a person can rise to full standing.

Etymologically, the word combines op- (up or up-to), staan (to stand), and tijd (time), capturing the duration of the act of standing. In practice, opstaantijd is typically defined as the interval from either the cue to stand or the first visible movement to the moment the person is upright and stable. It can be measured with a stopwatch, a timer, or video analysis, and is often expressed in seconds.

In clinical and research settings, opstaantijd is closely related to assessments of functional mobility and lower-body strength. It can be influenced by factors such as leg strength, balance, joint pain, speed of movement, footwear, and cognitive processing. It is commonly considered alongside other measures, such as sit-to-stand tests, chair-rise tests, and the Timed Up and Go test, to provide a broader view of a person’s mobility and fall risk.

See also: sit-to-stand test, chair-rise test, Timed Up and Go test, functional mobility.