How Long Will You Live: Simple Life Expectancy Test - How To Stay Young.
The sit to rise test is a simple yet powerful predictor of health (in later life) and longevity
The sitting-rising test (SRT), as demonstrated below in the BBC how to stay young episode, is a clinical test which provides a significant and efficient prediction of mortality risk in the elderly.
The simple exercise of sitting down and standing up again without holding onto anything, could suggest how long you have to live. This is the belief of a group of physicians, who came up with the ‘sitting-rising test’ to measure their patients’ flexibility and strength.
They developed a scoring system for the test and found that people who scored three points or less out of 10, were more than five times as likely to die within six years, as those who scored more than eight points.
**DISCLAIMER - Before attempting read this post in full - if you follow any of the routines and workouts shown on our page without supervision you do so at your own risk!!**
Claudio Gil Araujo, of Gama Filho University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was among the doctors who originally developed the sitting rising test (SRT) to quickly assess the flexibility of athletes, but he now uses it to persuade his patients that they need to stay active to maintain their muscle and balance, and live longer.
WARNING: Do not attempt if you have arthritis or are worried the exercise may cause you injury.
Wearing comfortable clothes and no shoes, make sure you have plenty of space around you.
Lower yourself into a cross-legged sitting position, without leaning on anything.
Stand up again without using your hands, knees or arms to push yourself up.
Get someone to score you, take the test in front of a mirror to notice any wobbles or ‘cheats’.
The first part of the test –sitting down – is scored out of five, as is the second part –standing up – making a total score of 10.
Subtract one point every time you use a hand or knee for support.
Dock half a point every time you noticeably lose balance and wobble and combine them to calculate your final score.
The study found that every point increase in the test, was linked to a 21 per cent decrease in mortality from all causes.
Above - Quick look at the sit to rise test
See, there is a direct correlation between your strength, flexibility and balance AND longevity
When I attended Steve Maxwell kettlebell and mobility health & longevity certification weekend we looked at how many older people may die from heart attacks and strokes etc, however, these are USUALLY caused from trauma of a fall
Statistically, each year an estimated 684,000 individuals die from falls globally, the study reads.
“While it is known that good levels of balance are relevant for many daily life activities, there is considerable evidence that loss of balance is also detrimental for health and that some exercise interventions may improve balance.”
This is one of the reasons why we incorporate balance and stability, alongside unilateral movements, working or training one limb/side of the body at a time within our 5-pillar health & longevity system!
Above - Here's a couple of the local wake up warriors, Ben and Sat, attempting the SRT
So, if you haven't already?
id' suggest getting outside in the fresh air (preferably in and around nature for the known benefits for our physical and mental wellbeing) ideally on grass (safety - soft surface) and test yourself?
Subjects are instructed by the evaluator: "Without worrying about the speed of movement, try to sit and then to rise from the floor, using the minimum support that you believe is needed."
The maximum possible score on the SRT is 10 points: a possible total of 5 points for sitting down, and 5 points for rising from the floor to a standing position. One point was deducted each time a person used their hand or knee (or bracing a hand on the knee) for support to either sit down or stand up, while half a point was deducted for losing their balance.
The minimum possible score is 0 points. An additional 0.5 points is deducted if the evaluator perceives an unsteady execution or partial loss of balance.
If the subject loses points on the first few attempts, the evaluator provides advice to help them improve their score on subsequent tries. The best scores for sitting and rising are used to determine the final score
The experts found that people who scored three points or fewer, were more than five times as likely to die within the same period. They wrote in the study: ‘Musculoskeletal fitness, as assessed by SRT, was a significant predictor of mortality in 51–80-year-old subjects.’
The study found that every point increase in the test, was linked to a 21 per cent decrease in mortality from all causes.
Bit unsure or unable to take this test?
You also have the option to use this simpler (easier) scientific 10 second challenge:
https://www.wakingthewarrior.com/single-post/the-balance-test-that-could-tell-how-long-you-will-live
Chartered physio-therapist Sammy Margo said that the exercise may be 'quite ambitious' for older people in the UK.
This is possibly because of cultural differences, because Britons are not used to regularly sitting on the floor, like in some other cultures. In this way, it may not be terribly accurate at predicting life expectancy.
She told MailOnline that there is a risk that people with early signs of arthritis in the knee could feel the strain when trying the exercise, which she described as 'quite hard work'.
'The advice is not to endorse the test – it sounds as if it is somewhat simplistic and it is not widely used,' she said.
UK physiotherapists tend to prefer another test, where patients stand up from a sitting position and see how many times they can repeat the action in 30 seconds.
'The "30 second chair test" is more appropriate and is used as a prognostic,' she said.
'It's simplistic, quick and easy and gives a good indicator for falls.'
The test measures leg strength and endurance - which are needed to move around without falling - rather than flexibility and agility like the SRT.
Healthy people aged between 60 and 64 are expected to stand and sit more than 12 times for women and 14 times for men in 30 seconds. A good score for a 90 to 94-year-old is siting and standing more than seven times for man and four times for women. While Ms Margo did not recommend the SRT, she said it does 'address everything' in terms of a person's strength and flexibility.
Now, back to the strength, flexibility and mobility?
If you struggled with this test, will be due to the lack of strength and flexibility especially in your hips, and want to improve
Not just for the longevity but for the overall health (and everyday) benefits of improved strength, flexibility, and balance
You can still claim your free wake up warrior 5pillar guide: https://anybodyspt.leadpages.co/wake-up-warrior-free-guide/
My personal blueprint that includes simple strength, mobility, flexibility routines
