Sit on the floor, then stand up.
How well you are able to do this may reveal how far into the future your life line extends.
This whole body dexterity test was designed to study how much longer men and women between the ages of 51 and 80 lived after taking the test.
The test is based on a scale of 10 which measures how much support a person needs in order to sit down on the floor from a standing position, and then stand back up. Each means of support counts as one point, i.e., if you need to place your hand(s) down before sitting, or brace yourself with a hand on your knee, each hand counts as one point. If you must kneel down first, then a knee counts as one point, and so on.
There's also a half point assessed to unsteadiness or faltering while doing this test. Each point is added up and then deducted from the base score of 10.
Here are the results. Compared to those who scored eight or higher, risk of death was nearly twice as high for those scoring from 6.0 to 7.5, more than three times higher for those who scored from 3.5 to 5.5 and more than five times higher for those who scored from zero to 3.0.
If you want to try this test, and are unsure of your agility and strength, make sure someone is there to observe and assist you. Try it on a carpeted floor and remember that there is no time element involved. Just don't eat a sandwich once you sit down.
Hopefully, depending upon how you fare, you'll be able to determine whether to increase your exercise routine, or examine your diet habits in order to become healthier and live longer. And don't forget to consult with your physician.
Source: Claudio Gil Soares de Araujo, MD, PhD and medical director at Clinimex Exercise Medicine Clinic and a professor of sports medicine at Gama Filho University, both in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and senior author of a study on the link between a sitting test and longevity published in European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
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