I’ve got an interesting one for you today. It’s a test that can give you a hint about how well you are aging. If you’ve done this test before, it’s worth doing again to make sure you’re still on track.
It’s called the Sit and Stand Test.
It was designed by Brazilian researchers, and their study shows it can help predict how long you’ll live (or how long you will NOT live).
Here’s how you do it:
· Pick a clear space on the floor
· Stand in the middle of the floor and lower yourself to the floor to a sitting position – without using your hands or any assistance
· Then, without using your hands or any assistance, stand back up.
…..Don’t cheat yourself, really give it a try.
(TIP: Cross your legs on the way down and then back up to help with balance. It’s not cheating.)
This test can be a strong measure of musculoskeletal fitness – which is strength, flexibility and coordination.
Here are the results of the study in Brazil – which I thought were shocking!
The researchers tracked more than 2,000 men and women aged 51 to 80 for 6 years.
No matter their age at the start of the study, those who needed to use both their hands and feet to get up and down were about 7x more likely to die within 6 years than those who didn’t need to use their hands!
Try the test today and see how you’re doing. If getting up and down is harder than you thought it would be …
I have some good news for you: it’s definitely not too late to turn it around!
You can start improving your health and fitness, right now – at any age. I’m always here to help as well so you don’t have to do it alone.