[HEALTH] Forget fancy fitness trackers - your floor might be the truest measure of your health! The Sitting-Rising Test (SRT) is a quick and easy test that measures your muscular strength, flexibility, balance, and “risk of death” in less than a minute.
HOW TO DO THE SITTING-RISING TEST
Start by standing barefoot on a flat surface.
Lower yourself to the floor without using your hands, knees, or arms for support.
Get up again, without using any support.
You lose 1 point each time you use a hand, knee, or lose your balance.
Half-points are also subtracted for slight instabilities.
SCORING
8–10 points: Great mobility and physical condition
6–7.5 points: Fair, could have better flexibility or balance
3–5.5 points: Below average, showing a lack of functional fitness
0–2.5 points: Bad, with higher risks of falls and even mortality in the elderly
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
In 2012, a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology revealed that those who scored less than 8 points were twice as likely to die during the following 6 years, when compared to those who scored higher, even after accounting for age, gender, and body mass index.
The Sitting-Rising Test can be seen as an indicator of:
Muscular strength in your core and legs
Balance and coordination
Hip, knee, and ankle joint mobility
Neuromuscular efficiency
HOW TO BETTER YOUR SCORE
Strengthen your muscles: Squats, lunges, or step-ups
Stretch regularly: Focus on hip flexors, hamstrings and calves
Balance training: Yoga or single-leg stands