Get up or Die (Sooner)!
I know this may be harsh but if it strikes at least one person to do something about it and improve and/or extend their life, then good!
The Sit-To-Rising Test (STR) is a physical movement test whereby you stand, sit on the floor, then stand back up.
Sounds simple, right? Try it.
How to do it
Stand barefoot on a flat surface
Lower yourself all the way to the floor
Sit briefly
Stand back up
Rules:
Try not to use hands, knees, elbows, or forearms
Don’t lean on furniture or walls
Stay controlled (no collapsing or bouncing)
I found that many of my office worker clients have trouble doing this test smoothly and without using their hands. According to the way the test is scored, many clients get a few points deducted.
This is how the test is scored:
You get 5 points for going down, and + 5 points for standing back up, but…
–1 point each time you use:
• a hand
• a knee
• an elbow
• forearm
• side of the leg
• –0.5 point for noticeable loss of balance
A perfect score = 10
Basically, If you can get down to the floor and back up smoothly, your body is aging well. If not, like scoring 5 or below, then this means that the rate of death is much higher if you can’t get to the floor and back up without support.
*The actual study found that the low-scoring group died at a rate about 5–6 times higher during the follow-up period.
The maneuver seems simple but it actually does show a lot about the physical (and neuromyofascial) state of a person. For me, it can definitely show the state of the joints in the feet, ankle, knee, low back and hips. It can even show hints as to a person’s state of balance and coordination.
Below is a YouTube video about the test and a link to see the study on ResearchGate.
If you tried the test and feel you can use some help in improving your STS, then come see me!
