The Sit-and-Rise test is a simple test of our ability get down to the floor and up again. You start by crossing one foot in front of the other and sit down in a cross-legged position without holding onto anything.
Now, from the same cross-legged position, you rise up – if possible, without using support.
A group of Brazilian and American researchers thought this might provide insight into longevity. So they tested 2002 men and women between ages 51 to 80.
6 years later, 179 (or 8%) of the study subjects had died. It turned out that the higher the subject scored in the test, the greater the improvement in their statistical likelihood of survival.
The likely cause is that this test is a measure of a person’s mobility. People with better mobility are less likely to fall and are more likely to be in better all-round health.
It is a useful test to understand our current state. More importantly, it is a skill worth improving.
(H/T: Built to Move by Kelly Starrett and Juliet Starrett)
