05/03/2026
There is a simple test that may predict how long you live.
It is called the sit-to-rise test, and it costs nothing.
From a standing position, lower yourself to a cross-legged sitting position on the floor, then stand back up. You start with a score of 10 and lose a point for each hand, knee, or steadying touch you use along the way.
A 2014 study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology followed more than 2,000 adults aged 51 to 80. Those who scored below 8 had a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality over the next six years compared to those who scored higher. Lower scores reflected reduced flexibility, balance, lower body strength, and core stability, all of which decline with age.
Here is the encouraging part. The test is not a sentence. It is a snapshot.
You can train every component. Squats. Yoga. Mobility work. Even practicing the sit-to-rise itself.
After 20 years of practicing medicine, I have come to see the floor as a friend. If you can still get down to it and back up easily, your body is telling you something good. If it has been a while, that is information too.
Falls are one of the leading causes of disability in older adults. The body that practiced rising will answer when called.
Could you sit on the floor and stand back up today?
