To predict your lifespan, you may not need a lifespan calculator, blood tests, or statistical averages. A new study suggests that all you have to do is determine how well you can sit on the floor and stand back up again without help.
Researchers in Brazil discovered that the “sitting to rising” test, which measures balance, strength, and flexibility, could be an early predictor of longevity.
Claudio Gil Araújo, the study’s lead author and the research director at an exercise-medicine clinic in Rio de Janeiro, told The Washington Post that many tests can measure balance, strength, or flexibility.
“But 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 said.
Araújo further explained that the test assesses “all aspects of fitness that are not aerobic,” such as muscular health, balance, flexibility, and body composition, each of which is important for longevity and health.
The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology in June, involved 4,282 men and women between the ages of 46 to 75. As part of the test, participants were told to sit on the floor and then stand up with as little support as possible from their hands, knees, furniture, or other people.
The scoring for sitting and rising from the floor ranged from 0 to 10 (a maximum of five points for sitting and five points for rising). One point was subtracted for each hand, forearm, or knee used, and 0.5 points were deducted for unsteadiness.
The test results showed participants who needed no support to sit and stand were about six times less likely to die of heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions during the next decade or so than people who were unsteady and had difficulty completing the task. They were also less likely to die of other natural causes, including cancer.
Death Risk Higher for Low Scoring Participants
The study’s investigators tracked participants for approximately 12 years. During that time, 15.5 percent of participants died by natural causes. They screened out deaths from COVID-19 and deaths that would not be considered natural causes, such as homicides, suicides, and traffic-related accidents.
The study revealed that lower sitting-to-rising scores were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of death. The risk of death was:
42.1 percent for those with a score of 0-4
20.4 percent for those with a score of 4.5-7.5
11.1 percent for those with a score of 8
7 percent for those with a score of 8.5-9.5
3.7 percent for those with a perfect score of 10
Araújo said a relatively low score, below about a 7.5, “should be a cause for some concern.” Araújo, 69, said he took the test and scored 8.5.
The latest results update a 2014 study by Araújo’s research team that also showed a connection between test scores and longevity. A score between 8 and 10 “indicated a particularly low risk of death” in subsequent years, Araújo and his co-authors wrote.
The 2014 study involved about 2,000 men and women, with a follow-up period of about six years. The new research doubled both the participants and follow-up time, making the updated results “that much stronger,” Araújo said.
Try the Sitting-Rising Test Yourself
If you’re interested in predicting your longevity, you can try the sitting-rising test yourself. However, Araújo warns against doing this alone. Araújo suggests finding a partner who can watch you, score your test, and, most importantly, steady you if you start to wobble.
Araújo recommends that people with disabilities or serious joint problems, such as hip, spine, or knee arthritis, should not do the test because it could cause unnecessary pain or injury.
Once you have a partner:
Make sure you have an open, flat space to move in and keep a wall, chair, or other type of support within easy reach.
If the floor is bare, place a pad down to cushion the impact in case you land with a thump while sitting.
Take off your shoes and socks.
Stand with your feet slightly apart, then cross one foot over the other. Hold your arms however you like.
Lower yourself until you are sitting on the floor. Try not to use your hands, knees, arms, part of your legs, or anything else to brace yourself.
From this seated position, stand back up with your legs crossed, and try to remain steady without using any support, including your hands.
To score your test, start with 10 points. Your partner will give you 5 points if you lowered yourself to the floor without using your hands, knees, arms, or other support. You will receive an additional 5 points if you stood up without losing your balance or using any other means of support. This totals 10 points.
Your partner will subtract one point every time you use some support to lower yourself or rise up. You also lose half a point every time you are unsteady.
Experts Weigh In on the Sitting-Rising Test
Of course, no test can definitively predict how long you will live. Furthermore, some health professionals have concerns about the sitting-rising test conducted by Araújo and his research team. For example, Avril Mansfield, a professor of physical therapy at the University of Toronto, who studies mobility and balance, said the test involves so many aspects of fitness that it’s difficult to pinpoint the weaknesses of people with low scores.
“Working with a professional like a physiotherapist or a clinical exercise specialist could help you identify the specific physical limitations that are impairing your score and design an exercise program to address those limitations,” Mansfield, who was not involved in the study, told The Washington Post.
Lora Giangregorio, a professor at the University of Waterloo in Canada who studies falls and bone health, noted that the test may not be suitable for everyone, particularly people with joint pain or disabilities.
“It requires people to get off of the floor in a prescribed way that requires very good joint mobility,” Giangregorio told The Washington Post.
The sitting-rising test and the new study do not explain why the test predicts mortality, although Araújo believes low scores indicate underlying disease and frailty. For example, inflexibility often shows that people have stiff arteries, which contributes to heart disease, according to Araújo. Also, people with poor balance might be more likely to experience serious falls, potentially leading to physical decline and death.
Most importantly, Araújo said a low score is more of a wake-up call than anything else.
“People ask me all the time, ‘If my score is low, does that mean I’ll be dead in five years?’ I tell them, ‘Of course not,’” Araújo said. “It’s telling you, maybe you need to make some changes.”
This site offers information designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on any information on this site as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or as a substitute for, professional counseling care, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional.
