Get down, get down: you can try this one at home—and researchers say doing it hands-free might unlock more years.
December 2024 data indicated that heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in the U.S. Currently, methods of screening for each usually require clinical testing and perhaps a not-so-fun needle or two.
A new international study suggests one simple action could help predict risk of death from either, as well as other natural causes. What’s cool about this test is that it doesn’t require equipment, though you should probably call on a good spotter.
Published June 2025 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, the study built on previous research that used the Sitting-Rising Test (SRT) to gauge physical ability and related health outcomes. To gather their data, medical researchers from Brazil, Finland, and Stanford University in the United States analyzed data collected from 4,282 adult participants aged 46 to 75 years old who’d transitioned from a sitting to standing position without using their hands.
Scoring their ability to sit and rise hands-free on a scale of 0 to 5, researchers subtracted one point for each time a participant used their hand or knee for support, and an additional half-point for evidence of unsteadiness. They calculated the final SRT score by adding the participants’ sitting and rising scores for a possible total of 10 points. The researchers then separated and ranked the participants into five groups for comparison.
They followed up with participants 12 years later on average and found they could confirm the link: statistically, people with lower standing-rising test scores appeared more likely to die earlier. After controlling for deaths caused by accidents or Covid-19, the team found that lower sitting-rising scores were still clearly linked: “The most common causes of death were CV diseases, cancer, and respiratory diseases,” the researchers report.
Among this sample, the team observed: “Nearly 50% of participants who were unable to rise alone from the floor, a basic task required for autonomous functioning, died during a period of 10 years.” People with lower scores also had a five to six times higher risk of death in the following 10 years compared to people who scored a 5 on the test.
Meanwhile, participants who could stand up without support showed very low death rates—only about 4% for natural causes and 1% for heart disease. People who scored an 8 or above tended to live longest.
The authors note that because this was an observational study, they can’t state for sure why standing-rising scores correlate to longevity. However, past research has shown that people who have excessive body fat, weak muscles, stiff joints, or poor balance and flexibility are more likely to experience illness or injury, which can lead to worse health over time. Blue Zones theorist Dan Buettner has also pointed out that some populations live longer among cultures where adults commonly sit on the floor, such as for meals or prayer—in part because core and muscle strength are so essential to staying physically, and perhaps socially, active.
If you’re intrigued by this test these researchers call “a simple and safe tool for assessing the main components of non-aerobic fitness,” ask your healthcare provider whether a sitting-rising test could help measure your current physical ability. If your score happens to be low, strength, balance, and staying active could be wise ways to focus on your health from the ground floor.
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