This Simple Sitting Test Could Predict

How Long You'll Live

It's a question we often ponder, especially as we age: How many years do I have left?
Well, thanks to Brailian physician !laudio "il #rau$o, there's now a simple test you can
perform right at home, in $ust a few seconds, that could predict how many years you have
left to live, according to %iscover&
#rau$o came up with the test after noticing that many of his patients, especially older
ones, often have difficulty with simple feats of 'alance and strength, such as picking up
something off the floor or getting up out of a chair&
(ince 'alance and conditioning pro'lems are known to increase the risk of dangerous
falls and accidents )and can also harm cardiovascular health*, he wondered if a patient's
fle+i'ility, 'alance and strength could 'e used as a measure of life e+pectancy&
,oen -elly
His idea was that patients might 'e more motivated to get in 'etter shape if they had a
more tangi'le way of conceptualiing how their overall health was 'eing affected 'y their
conditioning& If a patient is simply told to get in shape, they're not likely to change their
'ehavior& But if they're told .if you don't get into 'etter shape, you could 'e dead in five
years,. they're apt to take notice&
/f course, the test also needed to 'e simple& If it required e+pensive equipment or
measuring devices, the test pro'a'ly wouldn't 'e accessi'le to many people& (o #rau$o
and colleagues developed the sitting0rise test, or (,1& It requires no equipment
whatsoever and can 'e performed in seconds&
In fact, you can gra' a friend try the test out yourself right now& It's recommended that
you wear loose or comforta'le clothing& Begin 'y standing upright in the middle of a
room& Without using your arms or hands for leverage, carefully squat into a cross0legged
sitting position& /nce you're comforta'le, attempt to stand 'ack up from the sitting
position 2 again, without using your arms for help& # simple illustration )a'ove*,
provided 'y %iscover, can help you to visualie the steps&
1he test is scored on a point scale 'etween 3 and 34 )5 points for sitting, 5 more points
for standing 'ack up*& 6ach time you use an arm or knee for help in 'alancing during the
test, you su'tract one point from 34 possi'le points& Half a point is su'tracted each time
you lose 'alance, or when the fluidity of the feat 'ecomes clumsy&
,oen -elly
It seems like a pretty rudimentary test of conditioning, 'ut #rau$o found that it could
predict life e+pectancy with alarming accuracy& He tested it on more than 7,444 of his
patients aged 53 to 84, and found that people who scored less than 8 points on the test
were twice as likely to die within the ne+t si+ years& 1hose who scored three points or
less were five times more likely to die within that same time period& /verall, each point
achieved in the test accounted for a 730percent decrease in mortality&
#rau$o's study was only performed on patients older than 54, so the results won't mean
the same thing for younger individuals taking the test& But regardless of your age, the test
should provide a useful 'enchmark for your overall health& If you're younger than 54 and
have trou'le with the test, it ought to 'e a wake0up call& 1he good news is that the
younger you are, the more time you have to get into 'etter shape&