I know that title sounds hokey and suspect. I was actually pretty suspicious myself when our fitness expert Laura passed along this video, but there’s some interesting research behind it and hey, it’s always fun to find yet another way to hear what our bodies are telling us, right?
And when someone tells you there’s a simple test you can do to determine how long you’ll live, you do it, right?
I did. And I’ll admit the first time I did it I was feeling all cocky and “of course I can sit down and stand up again without cheating!” I was surprised (mildly horrified) at how hard it was. Especially the getting up part of it. I blamed it on my slippers (clunky), the time of day (crack of dawn), the floor surface (slippery – not a sticky yoga mat). And true, once I corrected for these factors (well, not the time of day) and gave it a more earnest effort, it was still hard but not undoable. Looks like you guys are stuck with me for a little longer yet 😉
So this little test is called the Siting Rising Test. It was developed by a Brazilian doctor named Dr. Araujo. You don’t need any fancy equipment – just a little space and your legs. And there’s research to back it up. Basically, how easily you sit down (no hands!) and stand back up can be a predictor of how long you’ll live – and he found the correlation to be for mortality from all causes. Now, clearly, how well you can do this test doesn’t necessarily prevent you from a car accident, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
I’ll let Laura explain the rest.
If you’re curious and want to learn more about this test, check out Laura’s blog on the topic.
And tell me in the comments below: how did you score on the test!?
Laura Coleman rocked my world a few years back when she helped me get to the root of all the knee and lower-back issues I’d had since my teens. In just a couple of sessions, Laura put me on a simple program of rehab exercises (unlike any I’d ever seen before) that brought my body back into alignment and actually fixed the problem that no physiotherapist, massage therapist, or chiropractor had ever been able to solve. I was hooked! We’ve been terrific friends and shared many clients since, and I’m delighted that she has offered to share her wisdom with all of you via this Fitness Friday video series. Laura lives in Portland, OR with her two gorgeous daughters. She works her magic at Club Sport and with clients all over the continent via the magic of technology (aka Skype). Check out her blog and website here.
I use to rise from sitting this way all the time. Then a few years ago I noticed it was difficult, so I incorporated back into my every day practice. It’s a great thing to do regularly. Thanks Laura and Margaret.