Sit and Stand: How This One Test Could Predict Your Longevity!
An exercise that can tell me how long I will live? That sounds crazy right??
Well, this one small test can easily be done from home and quickly give you feedback on your longevity.
Although it's quick and easy for you to test, it might not be so easy when you try it!
Here's the quick run down of this: For years doctors have used the Cardio Stress Test on their patients to determine the likelihood of them suffering a heart attack in the next 3-5 years. It's been a very effective way of using heart monitors while having the patient walk on a treadmill to study the overall function of the heart.
Brazilian physician Claudio Gil Araujo noticed,however, that while many of the individuals he was working with could walk and pass a basic stress test, they were struggling greatly with performing simple tasks such as tying their shoes or getting up off the ground. He then created The Sitting-Rising Test (SRT) as a means of test non-aerobic condition and focusing on how well a person moves throughout life. In other words, those who had better Flexibility and Balance lived longer lives!
In the European Journal of Cardiology, Dr. Araujo explained how over a 15 year span of time, over 2,000 patients ranging in ages from 50-80 went through the SRT test. Those who scored less than an 8 doubled their chanced of dying within 7 years compared to those who score over 8. The ones who scored less than 3 were FIVE times more likey to die within that seven year period compared to those who scored over 8.
How The Test Works:
Cross one leg over the other and sit on the floor without losing your balance. Now here's the tricky part – get back up! You get 5 points for sitting down without losing your balance and 5 more points standing back up. However, you lose a point for every hand, knee, or side of the leg you use on the way down and up. You also lose a 1/2 point for any loss of balance. Quick note: make sure you do this where you have some open space, especially if you know you are a bit balance-challenged!
How To Understand The Score:
Here's the part of the study that I found amazing. For every point people lost, there was a 21% loss in mortality. At first you may think "I know I don't have great balance or flexibility but how does that affect how long I will live". Consider this, people that don't move well are naturally going to be less active. When people become less active one of the first things that get derailed is their nutrition. So they're not moving as much, not eating as well and here comes onset of many health factors such as weight loss, decreased bone density, greater risk of falling, etc.
Thoughts On Longevity: In the European Journal of Cardiology, Dr. Araujo explained how over a 15 year span of time, over 2,000 patients ranging in ages from 50-80 went through the SRT test. Those who scored less than an 8 doubled their chanced of dying within 7 years compared to those who score over 8. The ones who scored less than 3 were FIVE times more likey to die within that seven year period compared to those who scored over 8. The biggest takeaway from this study is not so much that you need to score perfectly on this test, but that we NEED Balance and Flexibility throughout out lifetime.
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