Sit down; Stand up; Live forever

[taste_is_sweet]

I'm sure you think I'm joking by that subject heading, O, best-beloveds. But I'm not! Entirely! This is totally not entirely a joke.

Because, according to Brazilian physician Claudio Gil Araujo and Discover Magazine (which makes it absolutely, totally true, yo), being able to sit cross-legged on the floor and then stand up again without using your hands or putting your knee down, etc. is an excellent indication of how long you may live. At least if you're over 51 (and able-bodied enough to attempt it in the first place).

Why? Because having enough flexibility, balance and strength to sit on the floor without crashing on your ass, and to get up without needing your hands helps in avoiding falls (which get more problematic when our hips start snapping like Doritos), and means you're in good shape in general, which helps in avoiding death (which will never not be problematic). The test is scored out of ten with anything other than feet-only subtracting a point. Anyone with a score of less than 8 was twice as likely to die within the next six years. Anyone with a score of three or less was five times as likely to die. Which might raise someone's chances at death to only 5%, but still. Whoa.

I'm blessed enough to be able-bodied, but I found to my chagrin that I needed to use one hand to get up. Nothing like having my delusions of physical prowess sunk like the Titanic in literally one sitting.

Give me ten more reps. For freedom!

My physio therapist (Apparently sitting in terrible positions for 5+ hours a day typing for over ten years causes repetitive strain injuries. Who knew?), who is in his (very) early 30s and looks like Captain America, can of course get on and off the floor using only one leg. Which would be intimidating if he wasn't so adorable. And heroic.

So, my current exercise regimen now includes simply getting off the floor without using my hands. I managed it once today! Once! ONE WHOLE TIME!

I'm going to be immortal. Seriously.

Comments

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

How long are you going to live if you can remain flaked out on the floor while having a cabana boy get up off his arse and fetch you a margarita?


Answer: who cares? We're having margaritas...

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

LOL

I dunno, man. Maybe being able to live long enough to fully enjoy Cabana Boy and the margaritas?

Though obviously you know how to go out with a bang.

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

Nah, I'm just not a big believer in cookie cutter tests. My balance and flexibility has always been really good, no matter how unhealthy I've been otherwise while I have mates who run marathons and maintain supremely healthy diets who wouldn't have the coordination/balance to pull off that set of manoeuvres.

Always go out with a bang... or three. :D

[firesign10.livejournal.com]

Always go out with a bang... or three

Does that mean banging the cabana boy???

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

Only if you've been properly introduced.

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Several times, I can only hope. ;)

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

I'm with you, actually. But I still figure it'd be a good thing to be strong/balanced/flexible enough to be able to do this. I like challenges (when they don't make me cry), and at least with something like this it's easier to tell when you've met your goal. :)

[firesign10.livejournal.com]

I'm fascinated by this idea! And I am going to try it.

Tomorrow.

Because I just had three karate workouts in a row (Tues, Wed, Thurs) and frankly my legs are POOPED!!

But tomorrow, I am going to see.

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Wow--three in a row? You are awe-inspiring. And possibly insane. ;)

Good luck! Please let me know how it goes!

[firesign10.livejournal.com]

Hahaha! I don;t have that usually. Tues and Thurs are my regular class nights, but once a month I have instructor training workouts, and that was this week. Tired legs are tired!

But right now I am writing porn, so yay!

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Workouts, instructing, and porn. You are a wonder, woman.

[reedfem.livejournal.com]

Appy I died last week.

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

LOL

And, I'll miss you!

[mcparrot.livejournal.com]

This needs a huge like button for making me snort.

And yay for cute physios. The one that fixed my shoulder was borderline creepy. But did fix my shoulder, so ...

And... for your info, I'm not even going to try that, because knowing about impending death is not good for my blood pressure.

Okay, maybe I will

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

I'm glad the borderline creepy physio therapist fixed the problem. Especially as it meant you didn't have to go back...

Very happy to make you snort. I enjoy making people snort. :D

Did you try it? Did you try it????

[brumeier.livejournal.com]

I don't even need to try that to know I'd fail. Miserably. I've never had much flexibility - wonky hips - and I solve the whole problem by just never sitting on the floor. LOL!

Okay...so I just snuck into an empty office to do this and see. I needed to use a knee, but no hands. That's good, right?

Your therapist looks like Captain America. ::sighs dreamily:: Lucky.

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

\o/ Actually, using a hand or a knee is considered the same. But you still scored a 9! No impending death for you!

To be fair, Steve Rogers Eric my physio therapist doesn't really have Captain America hair, and he's probably not as broad, well, anywhere. But he's freaking tall and has the kind of body where I was able to see his abs through a thermal shirt. And he's nice, and I'm sure he conducts rescue raids into occupied Europe all the time.

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

I'm doomed.

I can still life a glass of wine with one hand though - does that count for anything?

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Totally counts. ::Toasts you::

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

Phew *g*

Though you've got me worried, so I'm practising the sitting down/getting up now. I've got the going down bit to perfection. The getting back up? Work in progress *g* *pours more wine*

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

Yeah, going down is easy, but I haven't been able to reproduce my feat of getting up without hands/shins/knees/whatever. But I will! Eventually!

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

According to this test, I have been in the grave already for several years.

I can't even sit cross legged (my left hip and knee refuse because wonky hip & broken kneecap a couple of years ago) and my sense of balance has been so terrible all my life that I still have skinned knees more often than not, so I am not able to get up again without assistance if I happen to be idiotic enough to get down on the ground anyway....

[taste-is-sweet.livejournal.com]

I think that if you have reasons you can't sit cross-legged that have nothing to do with the sitting part that it doesn't count. :)