Rally tries a simple move on his living room floor this weekend — sit down cross-legged, stand back up, without using hands or anything else for support. It did not go well, at all. Did you know there’s a real science-backed test built around this, and it might be one we should try to master. Think you can do it?
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Rally:
Hey, Beautiful People. Welcome back to the Silver Beast Podcast. It’s so nice of you to drop by.
I’m Rally Preston. Seventy-one years old here…and I just say that to give me some street cred with the senior set. Yeah, I know, it’s a tough crowd.
So, I did something dumb this weekend. Yeah, big surprise. But this time, I did it on purpose. So here’s what happened. I sat down on my living room floor, cross-legged style. And then I tried to stand back up. But not using my hands or arms. No grabbing onto furniture. No getting on my knees first. No nothing. I had to stand up just using my legs. My powerful, muscular legs.
Well, here’s what happened: absolutely nothing. I couldn’t get up only using my legs. Nope, not without putting a hand on the floor first to, you know, push off. I’d still be stuck there without that. Very embarrassing. And I thought I was in pretty good shape.
Now that told me I either weigh too much, or my legs aren’t strong enough. And yeah, it’s probably both.
So you’re probably wondering what this is about? What is he talking about?
So okay, I’ll explain. There’s actually a real test built around this move to rate your health. Sitting down on the floor, then standing back up, no help at all. And I’d never heard of it – but yeah, that’s the test.
And it has an official name. It’s called the Torture Test. Okay, no, not really; it just seemed that way to me.
It’s really called the Sitting Rising Test. And doctors call it SRT for short. And a researcher down in Brazil came up with it, back around 2012.
So here’s how the SRT works. So from a standing position, you have to sit down on the floor, cross-legged. Now the catch is you’ve got to sit down on the floor without using your hands, knees, arms, or whatever to support you – you just gotta cross your feet and lower yourself to the floor.
And once you’re sitting down on the floor cross-legged, then you have to stand back up. And again, no using hands, no knees, arms, whatever. No grabbing anything to haul yourself back up.
So that’s the test – the SRT.
And then they score you. You get 10 points if you did it smoothly, both the sitting and standing parts, with no help, hands or knees. So points get knocked off every time you use a hand, or knee, elbow, whatever, for extra support. Or, you get points taken off if you wobble around and don’t do it very smooth. So this is both for when you sit down and stand up. I had to use a hand on the floor for help getting up, so I would’ve gotten dinged for that.
So these researchers who came up with the SRT tracked over 2,000 adults aged 51 to 80, and they had them do the SRT test I just explained. Over about a six-year period.
And the folks who scored really low on this test? Like we’re talking zero to three points out of 10? They had a five- or six-times higher mortality rate during this study than those who scored better on this SRT – the Sitting Rising Test.
Okay, so now, a newer study just confirmed that older Brazilian SRT study. This one followed people for about 12 years. And yeah, same story. Lower scorers had a higher risk. Especially, it says, for heart-related issues.
Now look, I am no doctor. I’m just a guy who almost got stuck down there cross-legged on his own living room floor trying this. But there’s probably something here, with two studies getting about the same results. Now of course I’d trust a good checkup with your doc more than this SRT thing. But yeah, there seems to be something to it.
So why does getting up off the floor matter so much? Well, it turns out that move — sitting down, standing back up unassisted — it uses just about everything. Your leg strength. Your balance and coordination. Your flexibility. Your core.
And okay, why do those things matter so much for us? Well, nearly half of older adults, after a fall, can’t get back up off the floor by themselves. Even using knees and hands. Even if they’re not hurt. So yeah, wow. That’s a big deal. Because if you can’t get up off the floor, that’s a pretty good bet you’re gonna find yourself there again.
So look, I know none of this is great news. But here is the good part…
This, they say, is fixable – your ability to get yourself off the floor, by yourself. So it’s not about your genetics, or bad luck, or even your age. This is something you can train for.
Now, I’m not saying try this right now – the SRT test. For most people, me included, it is way harder than it looks. And especially don’t try this without a spotter, a person there, if balance for you is already an issue. And we’ll get to that.
So I’d start your training with something much easier – the classic sit-to-stand.
You know this one already, probably. You just sit toward the front of a sturdy chair with your feet flat, hip-width apart. Then lean forward a touch. Push through your heels, and stand up slow. Then sit back down in the chair, slow. And that’s it. That’s one rep of this sit-to-stand exercise.
If you can do that a few times, a few days a week, then you’re building the strength and coordination you’re gonna need to score well on the tougher Sitting Rising Test.
Now, for those of you feeling a little more ambitious — I know some of you are — you can work toward the floor version, the SRT, with a slightly more challenging exercise.Physical therapists actually recommend this one, it’s called the half-kneeling get-up.
Basically, you go down to the floor on one knee, kind of like you’re about to propose, right? Then push up through your front foot to a standing position. And then just switch which knee starts it off – practice alternating there. It’s a good, and pretty safe way to build up toward the tougher SRT, the Sitting Rising Test.
And just keep in mind you don’t need to ace the SRT on the first try. You just need to work up to with those kneeling raises and the classic chair sit-to-stands. And every time you do one of those, that, my friends, is a win. So don’t get discouraged.
So look, I know some of you are probably thinking you can pass this Sitting Rising Test with a little practice. And good for you. I bet you can. Just train for it first. I’m going to. And when I do it, I’ll post a video – but yeah, it’s gonna take me a while for sure.
Alright, let’s get to your Silver Beast Action Steps for today so you can score big one day on this Sitting Rising Test.
Alright, First: Try a few chair sit-to-stands today. Just, you know, three or four. Easy peasy. And that’s plenty to start.
Alright, Second: If you’re feeling steady on your feet, try the half-kneeling get down on your knee and propose kind of thing – just do that a few times this week. Nice and slow, alternating knees. Now you just kneel down – without assistance – and try to get back up on both feet. Just repeat that for practice.
Alright, Third: If you want to try the actual floor test, the big SRT one, make sure there’s something sturdy nearby, just in case. A couch, a chair. A person. Don’t go it totally alone in the middle of the floor the first few times – like I did.
Alright, Fourth: Keep practicing. Maybe two or three times a week. Not every day to start. Consistency though — the practice, is what matters most.
And Last: The one I always say, but it does matter: check with your doctor first. Especially if you’ve got balance concerns, or joint issues. And just for fun, ask your doc if you could see them demonstrate it for you. That could be good for a laugh!
Alright, here’s the bottom line, Silver Beasties. And literally, this time…
Getting your butt down on the floor and back up again without assistance isn’t just some stupid party trick, or something for the grandkids to laugh at. This test, as torturous as it may seem, is a real sign of strength, balance, and independence, all rolled in there together.
So go ahead, practice a little this week. Warm up with those simple sit-to-stands from a chair, or the other one, kneel down to the floor like you’re proposing, on one knee, and then come back up. Just practice. You’ll get there. And keep in mind you’re building something that might keep you steady for years to come. And that’s the real goal.
And that’s all I’ve got today. Alright, this is Rally Preston. Keep practicing, and I’ll catch you next time, right here on the Silver Beast Podcast. Take care!