Doctor shares simple physical test that can predict how long you will live
The question of how healthy we are and how long we've got left on earth is something that even the least existential of us will have thought about at some point.
Unlike previous generations who were preoccupied with hunting for food or surviving plagues, most of us nowadays have the time and means to keep ourselves as healthy as possible - which means we are on average living much longer.
There are also plenty of tangible ways we can measure health, with one doctor in the US sharing a simple test which she believes can predict how many years you have left.
Advert
Appearing on an episode of the Today Show, Dr. Natalie Azar talked viewers through the test, which some medical professionals use to gauge the longevity of people aged between 51 and 80.
"It’s an indirect marker of your health," she explained, explaining that it was called the sit to stand test or sit-rising test (SRT).
What is the sit-to-stand test?
If you're interested in trying out the test for yourself it's pretty simple.
Go from standing up to sitting down cross-legged on the ground before getting back up again without using any parts of your body besides from your legs and core muscles.
Everyone taking part in the test starts with a score out of 10, with one point deducted for any of the following:
Hand used for support: -1 point
Knee used for support: -1 point
Forearm used for support: -1 point
One hand on knee or thigh: -1 point
Side of leg used for support: -1 point
Give it a go and see how you do.
Now you may be wondering what on earth sitting down and standing up again would have to do with your health, with Dr Azar explaining that musculoskeletal fitness can be linked to cardiovascular health.
There is also science to back up the test as well, with a 2012 report from the European Society of Cardiology explaining there is a correlation between the test and life expectancy of people in the 51 to 80 age group.
The report added that people who received a score of 0-3 had a greater chance of dying than anyone with a score of 8-10.
"The study found that the lower the score, you were seven times more likely to die in the next six years," Dr Azar said, adding that eight points or higher is the ideal.
However it should be noted that the participants who scored higher in the study were the oldest in the group, meaning they had an elevated risk of death anyway.
The test also doesn't take into account any underlying injuries or disabilities, with Dr Azar also urging people to take their result with a 'pinch of salt'.
Topics: Health
Brenna Cooper