You can predict if you will have a long life with this incredible simple measure of strength and flexibility.
Sit. Stand. Repeat. The one and only trick: You can’t use your hands. According to a study by Brazilian physician Claudio Gil Araújo, this incredible simple measure of strength and flexibility can predict who will live longer.
The study came about when Dr. Araújo noticed that many of his patients, particularly older people, had trouble with ordinary motions such as bending down to pick up something from the floor. As people age, he knew, loss of balance and reduced muscle power could greatly increase the risk of dangerous falls.
So Dr. Araújo together with his colleagues developed the SRT, or sitting – rising test, to determine a person’s core strength, longevity and flexibility.
Try It!
- With bare feet, stand in a clear space.
- Lower yourself to a sitting position on the floor, without using your forearms, hands, knees or the sides of your legs.
- Now stand back up, again without using your limbs for help or leaning.
Scoring (ten – point scale)
- SITTING: Start with 5 Each time a limb is used for support, subtract one point. For loss of balance subtract half a point.
- STANDING: Add 5 points to your “sitting” score. Now subtract points per rules above.
- RESULTS: People who scored fewer than eight points on the test were twice as likely to die within the next six years, according to Dr. Araújo, compared with those who scored higher; those who scored 3 or fewer points were more than 5 times as likely to die within the same period.
Avoid!
As you move from sitting to standing and back again, using limbs for support (seen below) detracts from your final score. The goal is to achieve balance from your core.
Source: www.rd.com
