Fitness: Want to know how long you’ll live? Try this simple sitting test

If you don’t believe in palm reading and fortunetellers, but you want to know how long you’ll live, this new study is for you.

The study, published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention, used a simple test to determine life expectancy: sitting on the floor and getting up.

The volunteers, who were all in the 51 to 80-age range, were told to "sit and then to rise from the floor, using the minimum support that you believe is needed."

They were then given a score out of 10, with points subtracted for using a hand, knee or other support.

It may seem simple, but the test was also surprisingly accurate.

Researchers followed up with the volunteers, who were all in the 51 to 80 age range, about six years later.

During that period, 159 of the volunteers died’the majority of whom had lower test scores.

For every point a volunteer’s score increased, mortality also decreased by 21 percent.

“If a middle-aged or older man or woman can sit and rise from the floor using just one hand – or even better without the help of a hand – they are not only in the higher quartile of musculo-skeletal fitness but their survival prognosis is probably better than that of those unable to do so,’ lead researcher, Dr Claudio Gil Araújo, said in a press release.

To test this theory, I, along with three of my co-workers, bravely got down on our office carpet. We were all able to easily sit down and get up quickly without support. It’s a good thing, too’not only because we’re all younger than 30’but also because I don’t know how clean the carpet is.

Try the sitting test for yourself and let us know your results in the comments below.

-Katharine Watts, Associate Web Editor

Related:
‘ Is the Blue Zone diet the secret to a longer life?
‘ 11 ways to live a longer life
‘ 7 healthy habits to keep you young