Dear Reader,
When it comes to longevity, your gait (how swiftly you walk) is a strong predictor.
In other words, the stronger and faster your gait, the longer you’re predicted to live.
Well, it turns out there’s another simple longevity predictor that can tell A LOT about your future.
The good news is, if you struggle with it, practicing a 10-second exercise can help!
Let me explain…
Can you sit and stand without support?
About 10 years ago, a Brazilian physician and his team developed a simple longevity predictor called the “sitting-rising test” (SRT).
To perform it, you start in a standing position with your legs crossed. Next, you try to lower yourself to the floor without support (such as using a hand or knee to stabilize your movement).
Then, you try to stand back up again using minimal support.
If you can both sit and stand without any support, you score a perfect 10. However, the more support you need, the more points are subtracted.
Now, how does this test relate to longevity?
Well, the same Brazilian team that developed the SRT also studied the ability of more than 2,000 adults, aged 51 to 80 years old, to perform it.
They noted the participants’ initial SRT scores and then followed everyone until they died—or until the study concluded (an average of about six years).
During that time, 159 people died. And those who had the lowest scores (zero to three points) had a five-to-six times higher mortality (death) risk than those who scored higher (eight to 10 points). In fact, only two of the people who scored a perfect 10 died.
So, I suggest trying the SRT test at home to see how you do. Granted, the older you are, the more support you may need.
But the good news is, even if you don’t score a perfect 10 on the test today…you can get better and stronger with practice! Work on it daily over several weeks. Over time, you should find yourself needing less and less support to get off the floor. (Be sure to have a companion you can call on nearby, should you ever need extra support getting off the floor.)
Adding some easy, equipment-free, muscle- and balance-building activities into your regimen should also help build your core strength and improve your SRT scores.
And don’t forget to get plenty of protein into your balanced, Mediterranean-type diet. (Protein helps you build and maintain muscle mass. But studies show men and women may only consume HALF the amount of protein they really need to maintain strength and balance as they get older.)
Lastly, there are dozens of ways to stay vibrant, youthful, and healthy well into your 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond as I outline in my protocol, The Insider’s Ultimate Guide to Outsmarting “Old Age.” If you’d like to learn more about this online learning tool or enroll today, simply click here.