Simple two-minute test helps predict when you’re going to die
They say that curiosity killed the cat and if your own sense of curiosity trends towards the morbid then you might be interested in a quick test you can do which predicts when you're going to die.
Of course you might think you're better off not knowing and would prefer the moment the final curtain falls on your life to be something of a surprise.
However, you've made it this far so we're going to assume you want to know what's going on with this death-predicting test.
It's an easy test to do, all you need is yourself and a bit of floor in a decently spacious area where you're not going to fall against something and have your cause of death be 'died while taking a test to predict their time of death'.
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This test is called 'sit to stand' and it's really simple to do once you've found a roomy enough spot on the ground to sit.
First things first, sit down with your legs crossed like you used to have to do in primary school assembly as you sung about 'broad beans sleeping in the blankety bed'.
Then award yourself 10 points and try to stand up from your cross legged seating position without using your hands or arms to help.
You lose a point for using the hand, knee, forearm, side of the leg or for placing your hand on any part of your knee or thigh.
Once you've stood up deduct the number of points you needed to lose to get off the ground and think about your final score.
At this point you might be wondering how this 'sit to stand' test is supposed to predict when you will die.
This test comes from a study into future lifespan from the European Society of Cardiology where they had thousands of people give it a go.
They found that people who scored between zero and three points were six times more likely to die within the next six years than their peers.
Scoring below eight on the test still meant you had a higher risk of death within six years, so ideally you're looking to score somewhere within the eight to 10 range if you plan to be around for a long time.
If you've just given it a go and are worrying it's time to think about what you're putting in your will remember that the test is normally aimed at people aged between 50 and 80, so if you're young and scoring very well on the test don't get too cocky.
Part of the logic behind the test is that it measures your strength and how adept you are at not falling over, with falls being incredibly dangerous the older you get.
Experts have said the test is a good 'quick and dirty' way of checking certain health conditions, but you shouldn't count your lucky stars if you pass with flying colours but do plenty of unhealthy things like smoking.
Joe Harker