Want to know how long you’ll live? There’s a new simple test to find out. In a new study published Wednesday, researchers found that your ability to sit down on the floor and then stand back up without using your hands, knees, or arms could offer surprising insight into your overall longevity. In fact, those who receive a perfect score are more likely to live longer and healthier lives.
Here’s exactly what the study found and how to do the test yourself.
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Study Finds Sitting-to-Rising Test Predicts Longevity
The new study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology tracked over 4282 adults aged 46–75 years (68% men) over 12 years. The objective was to see if their scores on a simple “sitting–rising test (SRT)” could predict an early death by natural or cardiovascular (CV) causes.
The test requires a blend of balance, strength, flexibility, and coordination—all essential elements for healthy aging that are often overlooked in standard medical checkups as you age.
Each participant who performed the test was given a score of up 5 points for being able to sit on the floor and stand up again without any help. For each body part they used for strength or balance—say, a knee, hand, or elbow—one point was subtracted. A loss of balance deducted a half-point, and touching anything on the way up cost one point as well.
Twelve years later, the researchers revisited the same participants and found that 665 participants had died of natural causes. “The most common causes of death were CV diseases, cancer, and respiratory diseases,” they wrote.
Interestingly, those who scored lowest on the test were far more likely to have died than those with higher scores. In fact, individuals with perfect scores had a significantly higher survival rate than those who scored 0 to 4.
“The SRT score was significantly associated with shorter survival, with participants in the lower score range [0–4] exhibiting a 3.84- and 6.05-times higher risk for, respectively, natural and CV causes of mortality, when compared with those with a perfect SRT score,” the study authors concluded.
“Nearly half (49.5%) of the 192 participants scoring 0 on rising died during the follow-up period, while only 23 (4.4%) out of 520 participants died on those that obtained a perfect 5-score on rising, a 11 times lower rate.”
Overall, the study authors argued that this simple sitting-to-rising test can be a great assessment of your muscular strength, flexibility, balance, and body composition, which can offer medical professionals vital information about your health and longevity.
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How to Do the Sitting-to-Rising Test at Home
- Step 1: Wear comfortable clothes and remove shoes. This allows full range of motion and helps ensure better balance and flexibility.
- Step 2: Stand upright on a flat floor. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides.
- Step 3: Slowly sit down on the floor—without using hands, arms, knees, or other support. The goal is to lower yourself to the floor in a cross-legged position without touching the floor or your body with anything but your feet and backside.
- Step 4: Then, stand back up from your seated position. Try not to use, touch, or lean on anything for support.
- Step 5: Score your performance. Starting with a score of 5 points, subtract 1 point for each body part you use to support yourself (e.g., hand, forearm, knee) on the way down or back up. Subtract 0.5 points if you lost your balance or appeared wobbly.
As the study authors explained, “A score of 5 was attributed when the action was correctly performed, i.e. sitting or rising from the floor without need for any support or unsteadiness… On the other hand, if the participant completely failed in sitting or rising from the floor without external help (e.g. supporting in a table or wall or with the help of another person), a score of 0 was attributed to the action.”
“Most often, just one attempt for a given individual was sufficient to obtain a reliable and valid SRT score.”
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What Your Score Means
While a perfect score of 5 doesn’t directly mean you will live longer, “It is quite reasonable to expect this,” lead study author, Dr. Claudio Gil Araújo, director of research and education at the Exercise Medicine Clinic in Rio de Janeiro, told NBC News.
If you scored between 0 to 4, the study authors noted that this could mean you need to work on your overall balance and strength.
“Most participants scoring 0–4 in the SRT tend to present with an unhealthy combination of excess of body fat, dynapenia, reduced body flexibility, and poor static balance,” the study authors wrote. “It is possible to speculate that these participants with low SRT scores were at an increased risk of falls, leading to severe injuries that could compromise their autonomy for daily activities and limit their possibilities to regularly exercise, a combination of factors that could adversely impact their survival.”
Health experts suggest incorporating weight training, balance training, and flexibility exercises, like yoga and pilates, into your daily routine to help build your muscle strength and balance. Consult with your doctor for the best action plan and stick to regular checkups.
As the study authors noted, for people who don’t have physical or clinical limitations for this type of testing, the sitting-to-rising test could help healthcare providers offer patients more specific and personalized advice and longevity plans.
Content shared from bestlifeonline.com.