Do you want to know if your body is in good condition for its age?
Fitness experts have highlighted a quick and easy way to find out using a “foot” test.
According to exercise professionals at Norwegian fitness emporium, Trim Trening Trivsel, your ability to go from sitting to standing with your arms crossed can decipher whether you have what they call a “senior” body.
Demonstrating the challenge in a clip posted to Instagram, two personal trainers begin by crossing their arms.
Next, they try to reach the ground with their arms still crossed, starting by kneeling and then with their legs extended.
The last step is to stand back up and finish in the same position you started in.
You must keep your arms crossed throughout the challenge, using core and leg strength to change position.
The test has long been shown to be a useful predictor of longevity by several different research groups.
A 2012 study published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology found that the sit-to-stand test (SRT) was a significant predictor of mortality in people between 51 and 80 years old.
The researchers found that those who failed to complete the challenge were seven times more likely to die over the next six years.
Experts say completing the test with little difficulty is a sign of good cardiovascular health, balance, flexibility, and strong core and leg strength.
All of these factors protect against premature death, primarily due to the lower risk of frailty and life-threatening falls.
However, the test is not entirely reliable as it does not take into account the impact of musculoskeletal injuries, such as back pain, which can limit flexibility.
If, for example, you didn’t sleep well or your back hurts, give yourself some grace, said Dr. Natalie Azar, a New York-based specialist rheumatologist. Today.
This sit-to-stand test isn’t the only easy way to determine how fit you are for your age.
Another popular evidence-based challenge is the one-leg balance test.
Balancing on one leg continuously for more than 40 seconds is another indicator of longevity. It is said to be a key sign of strength and mobility among people aged 18 to 39, according to the NHS.
People aged 18 to 39 should manage 43 seconds, according to the NHS, and 40 seconds if you’re aged 40 to 49.
For people aged 50 to 59, the figure is 37 seconds and 30 for those aged 60 to 69.
Between ages 70 and 79, this drops to between 18 and 19 seconds and just over five seconds if you’re over 80.
According to a 2022 observational study, not being able to stand on one leg for 10 seconds in middle or old age is linked to a nearly doubling of the risk of death from any cause over the next 10 years.
In an article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers who carried out the study over 12 years in Brazil said the test “provides rapid and objective information to the patient and health professionals about static balance.”
Similar to the “sit-to-stand” test, balancing on one leg is said to indicate flexibility, balance, and muscle strength, all of which protect against serious illness and age-related death.
Meanwhile, another US study found last month that The amount of time you can balance on one foot indicates how strong your bones, muscles, and nerves are.
With each decade of age, the amount of time someone could stand on their non-dominant leg decreased by 2.2 seconds.
For the dominant leg, the amount of time they could endure decreased by 1.7 seconds per decade.
The researchers said this test could be implemented in doctors’ offices as an inexpensive, low-tech way to assess bone strength and aging.