Quick….Sit down on the floor
Now, can you get into a standing position without using your hands?
According to a Brazilian Physician Claudio Gil Araujo muscular strength and flexibility are just as important as aerobic health in staving off death and old age. According to Dr. Araujo, scoring low on the Sitting-Rising test indicates that you have a greater chance of dying prematurely than someone who can.
How is the Sitting-Rising Test Scored?
1) Start from a standing position, without leaning on anything, lower yourself to the floor.
2) Once seated on the floor, rise back up again
You start with a score of 10 (subtract points for the following):
Hand used for support: minus 1 point
Knee used for support: minus 1 point
Forearm used for support: minus 1 point
One hand on knee or thigh: minus 1 point
Side of the leg used for support: minus 1 point
Araujo gave the SRT to over 2,000 patients between the ages of 51 and 80. He and his colleagues found that individuals who scored fewer than 8 points on the test were twice as likely to die within the next 6 years compared with those who scored higher. Those who scored 3 or fewer points were 5 times as likely to die within the same period as those who scored more than 8 points.
On the surface this test may sound compelling but in reality there are some flaws to the test.
Body Type isn’t taken into account. Some individuals may have a body type that will make the test more difficult.
Other issues such as Weight, Knee problems, Arthritis, Hip Problems, Back Problems, Ankle problems. All these issues could make the test quite difficult but the individual could be quite healthy otherwise.
I thought the test was kind of an interesting idea and thought I might give it a try. I also asked my wife and my 14 year old daughter to give it a try. The 14 year old had no issues. My wife and I were able to do it but it wasn’t easy. I’d say if I learned anything I got a feel for what my fitness level was and can appreciate that I’m not a teenager anymore. This test gave me further ammunition for motivation.
Have some fun with this, don’t do it if you think you might hurt yourself but don’t take it too seriously.
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