How easily you can sit down on the floor and stand back up—without using your hands or knees—may reveal more about your future health than you think, according to a new study. NBC News reports the sitting-to-rising test (SRT) requires participants to sit on the floor and then stand back up without using their hands, elbows, arms, or knees for support or assistance. The test requires balance, muscle strength, and flexibility—qualities sometimes missed by standard aerobic tests.
In a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology on Wednesday., Brazilian researchers explain how they made use of the test, which they had some 4,282 mostly male adults carry out. Participants, who were ages 46 to 75, were scored from zero to five while sitting and rising, with a score of 10 signifying perfect execution of the entire move. They lost a point for each body part used to assist and half a point for wobbling. Results showed that those with perfect scores were more likely to be alive at 12-year follow-up. In contrast, a little more than half of those who scored between 0 and 4 survived the 12-year period. The death rates:
- Score of 10: 3.7%
- Score of 8.5-9.5: 7.0%
- Score of 8: 11.1%
- Score of 4.5-7.5: 20.4%
- Score of 0–4: 42.1%
Lead author Dr. Claudio Gil Araújo says that while the study doesn't prove a perfect SRT score extends life, "it is quite reasonable to expect this." The study calls it a "significant predictor of natural and cardiovascular mortality." While individual tests can measure balance, strength, or flexibility, Araújo tells the Washington Post that "what makes this test special is that it looks at all of them at once, which is why we think it can be such a strong predictor" of longevity. Araújo explains how to test yourself (do it with a partner present who can score you; do it barefoot; cross one foot in front of the other then lower yourself; stand up from that seated position). He sees a score below 7.5 as potentially worrisome. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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