Doctor reveals this simple and quick physical test predicts how long you'll live
From fitness bands to sensors in smartphones, technology has evolved by leaps and bounds to track a person’s health over the years. But at a time when medtech is being developed faster than ever before, a simple “sit to stand” test has become a leading method to check one’s overall health, as per TODAY. NBC News medical contributor, Dr. Natali Azar told the outlet this simple test can reveal how long a person will live a healthy life.
Sharing the science behind the test that acts as an instant health checkup, Azar highlighted some eye-opening facts about the human body. As the name of the test suggests, the sit-to-stand test measures how effectively, flexibly and quickly one can sit and stand. As simple as it may sound, even the youngest and the best can fail at it! It starts with an individual standing upright with hands by their side, and then the person needs to sit cross-legged on the ground. The catch is that one cannot use their hands, and isn't allowed to exert any pressure through the body, which means the person can only rely on the legs to sit and stand up again.
Even if one is able to sit cross-legged in that manner, getting up from that position without using hands is another challenge altogether. When the lower portion of the body, the legs in particular, have to take all the weight to sit and push it up to stand, that’s where the fitness levels are tested. Coming to the big question about the test indicating health and longevity in an individual, the doctor mentioned that completing the test effectively requires strong cardiovascular health, good balance, agility, flexibility, and core, as well as, leg strength. Since it measures quite a few major health indicators, it's safe to say it's the quickest and easiest test to check yourself!
The European Journal of Preventive Cardiology published a study where it was stated that an act as simple as sitting and standing up from the floor can “predict all-cause mortality.” Dr. Azar also recommends allotting points while doing the test to make it easier to decipher how healthy a person is. Starting with 10 points while standing, each time a person uses any kind of support with their hands, knees, etc, a point is deducted. If they complete the entire exercise and get back to the standing position without any support, all 10 points are rewarded to them.
The points can be counted at the end and anything above 8 in generally healthy people is a good sign. Personal trainer Coach Kim shared a demonstration of the test on Vive Health's YouTube Page to show the right way to go about the same. The doctor warned that in the case of people who are injured or have other issues, the test scores may vary depending on their conditions. She also recommended, "If you’re not able to do it, then take stock. Ask yourself, ‘How can I improve core strength, leg strength, balance and agility?’” Watch below how you can perform the test.